Fishing at Sundarbans banned from July 1

The forest department has decided to ban the netting of fishes from all rivers and canals in the Sundarbans for the next two months, starting July 1.

The decision was taken to allow safe breeding of fishes in these two months, our Bagerhat correspondent reports.

Authorities have also stopped giving passes and permits to enter the world's largest mangrove forest from June 24.

The Sundarbans Forest Department made an agreement in 2019, as per recommendations of the Integrated Resources Management Plans, to protect fishery resources in the Sundarbans, said East Sundarbans Divisional Forest Officer Mohammad Belayet Hossain.

As a part of that, the netting of fishes in all the rivers and canals in the forest remains halted from July 1 to August 30 every year, he added.

Patrolling in the area has been intensified so that poachers do not get a chance to do that, he said.

Those who have been given permits to enter by June 23 must return by June 30; if anyone defies the instruction, authorities will take stern action against them, the official added.