Rough seas force another halt to hilsa fishing

Rough seas triggered by a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal have once again halted hilsa fishing. Hundreds of fishing trawlers began returning to shore from Thursday morning after the Bangladesh Meteorological Department issued Local Warning Signal No. 3. The prolonged spell of bad weather has left fishermen and trawler owners facing heavy losses.

Trawler owners and fish traders in coastal areas, including Bagerhat's Sharankhola, said on Friday afternoon that hundreds of fishing trawlers had left the sea over the past two days and taken shelter at Dubla, Alorkol, Meher Ali, Bhedakhali, Kochikhali and Narikelbaria in the Sundarbans, as well as at Sharankhola, Parerhat, Patharghata, Mohipur, Char Duani and Nidra Sakhina along the coast.

Earlier, a depression over the Bay of Bengal suspended hilsa fishing for nearly 10 days from July 3. Fishermen returned to the sea on Monday after weather conditions improved. However, they had to head back to shore after only two days as a fresh low-pressure system formed.

Mosharaf Hossain, a fisherman from Boga in Bagerhat, and Dulal Hawlader from Parerhat in Pirojpur, who have taken shelter at the Bhedakhali Canal in the eastern Sundarbans' Sharankhola Range, said by phone that they had moved there from the sea two days ago. They said the sea had turned rough again, with large waves crashing amid strong winds, leaving no opportunity to cast their nets. The repeated disruptions have left many fishermen frustrated.

Md. Abul Hossain, president of the Sharankhola Fishing Trawler Owners Association, said, "The bad weather simply refuses to leave us alone. Before we can recover from one spell of rough weather, another begins. Hundreds of fishing trawlers returned to the coast just two days after heading back to sea because they could not operate in the rough conditions."

He said fishermen had faced three separate weather-related disruptions since returning to the sea after the 58-day fishing ban, resulting in severe financial losses for both fishermen and trawler owners.

Md. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, divisional forest officer (DFO) of the Bagerhat Forest Division under the Eastern Sundarbans, said several fishing trawlers had taken shelter in canals across the Sundarbans because of the rough sea conditions. He said forest officials had been instructed to ensure the safety of the fishermen and monitor their well-being.