Buying small Hilsa may invite penal action

THE WEST Bengal fisheries department is planning to introduce penal provisions in the IPC and CRPC to allow police to arrest anyone buying Hilsa weighing less than 500 gm.

Fisheries Minister Chandra Nath Sinha said, “The proposal was floated at a meeting of the fisheries department. We are speakingtothehomedepartment tobringtheprovisionsinthecrpc and IPC. Moreover, we are taking allpossiblestepstoensurethatthe Hilsa population is protected.”

Every monsoon, schools of Hilsa or Indian Shad (Tenualosa ilisha) migrate from the Bay of Bengal to rivers to breed. This migration has traditionally sustained Hilsa fishery. However, migration barriers, over-fishing and pollution have severely depleted their numbers.

In 2013, the state government issued a notification to control overfishing and conserve the Hilsa population. The notification imposed restrictions on fishing, and prohibited catching, transport and sale of small Hilsa.

“Legislations exist, but the fisheries department is toothless. With provisions to penalise customers, we can control the sale of juvenile Hilsa,” said an official.