Three fishermen have been apprehended for violating the ban on crab harvesting in the Sundarbans by the Forest Department’s smart patrol team. The arrests were made during two separate raids conducted on Saturday night in the Pushpakathi Canal and Kalir Canal areas of the Sundarbans. The detained individuals are Md. Jewel Sheikh, Azizul Sheikh, and Abu Huraira, all hailing from Pankhali village in the Batiaghata upazila of Khulna.
Nirmal Kumar Mandal, the leader of the forest department’s smart patrol team, provided details of the operations, stating that during patrolling in the Kalir Khal area of Gahin forest, three fishermen were spotted in a boat. Upon being asked to produce valid permits for entering the Sundarbans, they failed to do so. Consequently, a search of the boat led to the discovery of 200 illegal crab fishing traps, and the three fishermen were promptly arrested.
Subsequently, the smart patrol team raided the Pushpakathi Canal area of the Sundarbans using a trawler. However, upon sensing the raid, fishermen abandoned seven boats and fled the scene. Although no arrests were made, seven boats and 700 tons of illicit crab fishing equipment were seized.
Assistant Conservator of Forests of Khulna Range, A ZM Hasanur Rahman, emphasized that crab harvesting is officially prohibited in the Sundarbans during January and February, which are the breeding months for crabs. Despite this prohibition, some unscrupulous fishermen have been intercepted by forest guards while illegally entering the Sundarbans and engaging in crab fishing. In such instances, their boats and crab fishing paraphernalia are confiscated, and the arrested individuals will face legal proceedings under the Forest Act, leading to their subsequent imprisonment.
