Hilsa fishing banned for 22 days from Oct 8

Hilsa fishing will be banned nationwide for 22 days, from October 8 to 29, to ensure safe breeding of the fish during its peak spawning season.

The decision was taken today at a meeting of the National Taskforce Committee on Hilsa Resource Development at the Secretariat in Dhaka to finalise the fishing ban period and implement the Mother Hilsa Conservation Campaign 2026, according to a press release.

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Fisheries, Livestock and Agriculture Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid said no compromise would be made in protecting mother hilsa, and called for intensified monitoring in major breeding grounds including Barishal, Chandpur, and Bhola.

He said the district administration, Bangladesh Coast Guard, and fisheries department must work together to strictly enforce the ban, adding that extra vessels and logistical support would be deployed to hotspots if needed.

State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salahuddin Tuku said research must identify why hilsa production is declining, while stressing the need to curb the production and sale of banned fishing nets.

During the ban, transportation, stockpiling, marketing, buying, selling, and exchange of hilsa will be prohibited across the country. The government will provide VGF food assistance to fishermen who refrain from fishing during this period.