Bangladesh has taken a big step forward toward preserving and protecting its national fish.
Last month, the South Asian country announced an eight-month nationwide ban on catching juvenile hilsa. As reported by New Age, the ban lasts until the end of June 2026, and officials hope it will help boost the population of this popular fish.
In October, Bangladesh implemented a three-week ban on fishing for female hilsa, as a way to protect mothers during the animal's breeding season. Now that the eggs laid by those mothers have hatched, officials say this latest ban will allow newly born hilsa to grow safely, which should rapidly increase their population numbers within the country.
The ban also comes with severe penalties. Anyone convicted of catching, buying, selling, or transporting hilsa smaller than 10 inches could face up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $4,000, or both.
Also known as ilish and jatka, hilsa are a vitally important fish in Bangladesh and are a staple in Bangladeshi cuisine. But that also makes them prone to overfishing.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists hilsa in its least concern category globally, but notes that its population is decreasing. And in the Persian Gulf, it has been reclassified as near threatened.
Fishing bans are an effective way to ensure species' populations don't become dangerously low, and to protect an area's biodiversity.
Earlier this year, eastern Indian officials introduced a ban on all fishing along a 12-mile stretch of three rivers that empty into the Bay of Bengal, as a way of protecting the olive ridley turtle's natural habitat. The U.S. Virgin Islands have enacted an annual fishing ban from October through December to protect several important snapper species.
Overfishing isn't the only threat facing hilsa. The fish have been found to contain microplastics — tiny plastic fragments of less than five millimeters — and metals such as lead and mercury, posing health risks not just to the fish, but also to the people who consume them.
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