Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammed Amin Ur Rashid has said fishers' personal commitment is crucial to protecting breeding hilsa, as law enforcement, police and Coast Guard deployment, and government assistance alone cannot ensure conservation.
The minister, who also holds the agriculture portfolio, made the remarks as the chief guest at a rice distribution programme and awareness meeting at Bara Khan Bari field in Paschim Dasadi village of Chandpur Sadar upazila today (13 October), according to the press release.
The programme was organised for registered fishers under the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) scheme as part of the breeding hilsa conservation campaign for 2026.
The minister said allowing hilsa to spawn undisturbed would help increase future production, while catching breeding fish would harm the following year's output.
Addressing the fishers, he said, "You catch hilsa yourselves, so you understand their life cycle, breeding and conservation very well. If breeding hilsa have the opportunity to release their eggs, there will be hilsa next year too. That is why you bear the greatest responsibility for protecting them."
Recalling Chandpur's longstanding association with hilsa, Amin Ur Rashid said the area once had abundant catches and numerous ice factories supporting fish transport and preservation.
Much of that economic activity had declined as hilsa became less readily available, he said, stressing that protecting breeding fish during the spawning season was essential to increasing production and supply.
Although the government provides 25kg of rice as assistance, conservation goals cannot be achieved without fishers' awareness and sense of responsibility, he said.
"If you are not personally committed to refraining from catching breeding hilsa, then giving you 100kg of rice instead of 25kg will not solve the problem," he said.
Acknowledging fishers' financial difficulties and the need for alternative employment, the minister said their families faced challenges meeting household expenses when fishing was suspended.
Many had to borrow money, and the resulting debt made their lives harder, he said. In view of these difficulties, the government was considering sustainable alternative sources of income for fishers rather than relying solely on temporary assistance.
Taking account of Chandpur's geography and river-dependent livelihoods, he stressed the importance of using river water as a productive resource.
Conventional pond-based fish farming was not always practical in the area because rising water during the monsoon could wash fish away, he said.
The potential for alternative livelihoods using suitable modern technologies, including cage fish farming in rivers, could therefore be explored.
The minister said cooperation between the government and fishers was necessary to protect their long-term interests and increase hilsa production. He urged local elected representatives, fisheries officials and all others concerned to work together.
Protecting breeding hilsa was not solely the government's responsibility, he added, as it was also linked to fishers' own future and the interests of the next generation.
Safeguarding spawning grounds would help increase future hilsa production, benefiting fishing families and everyone involved in the country's fisheries sector, he said.
Deputy Commissioner Ahmed Ziaur Rahman chaired the meeting.
Special guests who spoke included Chandpur-3 MP Sheikh Farid Ahmed; Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Md Delwar Hossain; Department of Fisheries Director General Dr Md Khaled Kanak; Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute Director General Dr Md Latiful Islam; Superintendent of Police Md Mizanur Rahman; and District Council Administrator Advocate AKM Selim Ullah Selim.
Local fishers also attended the programme.
Following the meeting, the minister distributed VGF rice among fishers refraining from catching hilsa as part of the conservation campaign.