Drone surveillance to protect mother hilsa in Dashmina
Patuakhali Correspondent
A deep silence covers Tentulia and Buragouranga. An unfamiliar sound floats on the river's waves, the whirring sound of a drone.
Patuakhali's Dashmina Upazila administration and fisheries officials are standing at the pier, watching the monitors. Drones are flying in the sky, and the movement of boats and trawlers in the river below is being captured one by one.
The campaign to protect the mother hilsa is now technology-based. But the reality of the river is not that simple. Sometimes it is dark, sometimes it is full of resistance. As soon as night falls, the chase and counter-chase begin. Some fishermen try to catch fish by pulling banned nets. In some places, the nets are burned, in some places the trawlers are seized. All in all, this campaign to protect the mother hilsa is now like an 'invisible battlefield' in the heart.
It is learnt.that ground operations are also underway along with drones. Is Hilsa being sold anywhere in the market, is anyone stockpiling nets? The administration is keeping an eye on these. Because not only is Hilsa fishing banned, but transportation and storage are also illegal. At the fish farms on the banks of the Tentulia and Buragounga rivers.
Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer MM Parvez
He said, "With the use of drones, unscrupulous fishermen can be identified in a short time. Their movements are detected as soon as they get on the river bank or in a boat. This makes it possible to take legal action quickly." He added, "We are now able to conduct operations effectively even with limited manpower. If maximum use of drone technology is ensured, success in protecting mother hilsa will increase further."
Locals complain that some influential businessmen are still smuggling hilsa secretly. They take the fish far and wide by boat at night on trawlers. Even small children are being used to evade the authorities. They signal the fishermen from a distance.
In some cases, children are used to fish because they are not subject to legal punishment.
According to sources from the Department of Fisheries, there are about 10,500 Hilsa fishermen in Dashmina Upazila. During the ban, each fisherman will be given 25 kg of rice.
