OUR CORRESPONDENT, Rangamati

A ban on fishing for three months in Kaptai Lake started yesterday to ensure proper reproduction and growth of fish in the lake.

The district administration took the decision at a meeting held in Rangamati Deputy Commissioner’s office on April 20.

During the ban, all types of fish harvesting, preservation, and marketing from the lake, as well as operation of local ice factories, will remain halted.

According to the Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation in Rangamati, with the water level in Kaptai Lake decreasing, the ban has been imposed ahead of the approaching fish breeding season.

The government will provide food assistance to fisher families dependent on the lake through VGF cards during the ban period.

Md Masud Alam, deputy manager of Kaptai Lake Fisheries Development and Marketing Centre, said, “All types of fishing in the lake and operation of local ice factories will remain suspended for three months from April 25. Patrols will be conducted by BFDC and police to stop illegal fishing during this time.”

Traditionally, the fishing ban in Kaptai Lake runs from May 1 to July 31 every year, but this year the restriction will come into effect six days earlier.