Barguna Correspondent

Attempt to obstruct, attack on Coast Guard members, and vandalism of Coast Guard installations and vehicles were done  following seizure of illegal artisanal trawling boats in Patharghata, Barguna

Coast Guard Media Officer Lieutenant Commander Harun-ar-Rashid provided this information through a press release on Wednesday morning.

According to the press release, in order to ensure sustainable fishing and proper breeding of marine fish in Bangladesh’s maritime waters, the Bangladesh Coast Guard regularly conducts operations.

As part of this initiative, acting on secret information, on Tuesday at 1:00 PM, an operation was conducted by Coast Guard Station Patharghata in the Patharghata police station area of Barguna. During the operation, two illegal artisanal trawling boats were seized and 200 kilograms of marine fish were recovered upon inspection. A total of 24 accused fishermen aboard the boats were detained. Later, in the presence of the Upazila Fisheries Officer, the seized fish were distributed among poor and helpless families.

In connection to this operation,  approximately 300 local miscreants attacked the Coast Guard establishment. The assailants launched a surprise attack on the Coast Guard members, tried to hold them hostage, and vandalized one Coast Guard pickup vehicle and one motorcycle. Additionally, a wooden boat used for patrolling was sunk in the river around 9:00pm on Tuesday night.

Subsequently, with the coordinated efforts of the Bangladesh Coast Guard, Navy, and Police, the situation was brought under control.

The detained fishermen had long been destroying fish fry in shallow waters by illegal trawling boats through mud-slurping methods. As a result, fish in the sea are not getting the chance to mature. Along with catching juvenile fish, the trawling gears destroy millions of fish fry each year. This makes shallow waters toxic, disrupting fish breeding and egg laying. Overall, their destructive actions have brought marine fish resources to the brink of disaster. If this continues, the sea will become devoid of fish in the near future.

To maintain the country's law and order, the Bangladesh Coast Guard is maintaining a 24-hour patrol. Through this, law and order in the coastal and riverine areas under the Coast Guard's jurisdiction have improved significantly. Such proactive operations to protect fisheries resources in areas under Coast Guard authority will continue in the future.