Indian fishermen netting at Pashur and Baleshwar river confluence
With Hilsa catch declining, Bagerhat fishermen stare at penury
The fishing community in Bagerhat is at its wit's end.
From fishermen to traders, all are worried that the reign of the Hilsa may soon be over due to their Indian counterparts who enter Bangladeshi waters to net at the confluence of two prominent rivers -- the Pashur and the Baleshwar -- in the Bay of Bengal.
This netting at the confluence is hampering the movement of the 'king of fish' that travels from the sea to the sweet river waters, according to Bagerhat fishermen.
Read Hilsa Ilisha: The National Fish and Silver Pride of Bangladesh
"Many of us just can't afford to venture into the sea for fishing and rely on the rivers for our livelihoods. But netting of the fecund fish at the conference of the two rivers by our Indian counterparts leaves us worried," a local fisherman said.
In fact, this has hit the entire supply chain -- there's not enough supply of the Hilsa in the wholesale markets of the district.
"For long, we have been demanding a ban on fishing at the conference of the rivers so that the 'king of fish' can move and breed freely in the many rivers of Bagerhat," he added.
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