All fishing in Bangladesh’s waters of the Bay of Bengal was suspended for 58 days from midnight on 15 April to 11 June 2026 to protect marine biodiversity and the breeding of about 475 fish species, according to a Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock press release reported by The Daily Ittefaq English.
A 65-day ban from 20 May to 23 July had applied since 2015 and was extended to mechanised and coastal vessels in 2019; the ministry later shortened and moved it after fishermen complained that foreign boats fished in Bangladeshi waters during the ban.
During the 2026 ban, 311,062 sea-going fishermen in 14 coastal districts and Chattogram City Corporation were to receive 40kg of rice per month under the Vulnerable Group Feeding programme. Enforcement in 2025 included 3,585 operations and 136 mobile court drives, with 5,219 nets and 45 vessels seized and Tk 34.82 lakh in fines.
Source
- The Daily Ittefaq English: “58-day fishing ban imposed in Bay of Bengal” (16 April 2026)
File photo: fishing trawlers at Cox’s Bazar. Photo: Tanvir Rahat / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This article is a summary prepared by Maritime News BD from the report(s) listed above; it was not independently reported by Maritime News BD.
