Govt to ban destructive fishing nets to protect marine resources

The government will enact a law to completely ban destructive trolling nets used in the Bay of Bengal and introduce strict penalties for violators to protect the country's marine fisheries resources, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid told Parliament on Tuesday.

The assurance came on 10 November after Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni raised concerns over the widespread use of illegal fishing nets during the question-and-answer session in the Jatiya Sangsad.

Moni said indigenous fish resources were under serious threat as speedboats dragged harmful nets through estuaries and coastal waters, from the southern parts of the Bay to the stretches between Cox's Bazar and Satkhira.

He warned that the practice was destroying not only large fish but also eggs, larvae and juvenile fish, threatening the sustainability of marine resources.

Despite various administrative initiatives, the authorities had failed to stop the illegal fishing practice, he said, adding that its harmful effects were being felt across the country, including in his constituency.

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In response, the fisheries minister said there was no alternative to stopping the use of destructive nets to protect the country's fisheries resources.

He said marine fish production had declined by 30 to 40 per cent because of such fishing practices. Dragging the nets along the seabed kills juvenile fish under pressure, destroying marine resources before they have a chance to mature, he added.