A two-month-long ban on all kinds of fishing including jatka (ilish fry) in the 70-km Padma-Meghna sanctuary will come into effect on Friday, impacting 43,000 registered fishermen in Chandpur.

The prohibition, enforced by the district and upazila task forces, aims to preserve the aquatic ecosystem and boost ilish production.

The sanctuary spans from Shatnal in Matlab Uttar upazila to Charbhairabi in Haimchar upazila. Meetings of the task force have been held to ensure the smooth implementation of the government's program, including awareness sessions with fishermen in villages along the Padma-Meghna.

District Fisheries Officer Golam Mehedi Hasan said that fishermen, who refrained from catching jatka for two months from March 1 to April 30, will be given 40kg of food aid per person. Rice distribution has already started at the union level. Maximum efforts will be made to implement the decisions of the district task force to protect jatka.

Executive magistrates, deployed as part of the task force, are ready to take strict action against any fishermen violating the ban.

Fishermen in areas like Ananda Bazar expressed concerns. Despite their commitment to adhering to the fishing ban, they emphasized that the provided food assistance needs to be improved, due to soaring prices of goods, leading to increased debts.

Jalal Dewan and Hridoy Hossain, fishermen from a Meghna coastal village, stressed the need for doubling the government assistance, citing a lack of alternative income sources during this period of unemployment.

Chandpur River police station Officer-in-Charge Kamruzzaman said the river police have taken all preparations to implement the two-month fishing ban.

If any irregularity is found in the river in this regard, it will be strictly dealt with, he said 

Chandpur Sadar Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Tanjimul Islam said strict action would be taken if any fisherman disobeys the law. The task force will conduct regular drives to protect jatka.