The Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) has earned about Tk 155.6 million (15.56 crore) in tax from 7,627 tonnes of fish that has been sold by four fisheries centres for Kaptai Lake this season.
The four marketing centres of Kaptai Lake, one of the prime resources of the water and fish for the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT), have got 7,627 tonnes of fish this season. Earlier, the BFDC earned Tk 153.6 million in revenue in the 2019-20 fisheries season. The fish collection from the lake has decreased in the last three seasons.
After three consecutive seasons of low tariff collection, the company has recovered the earning in the current fisheries season (August 2023 to April 2024). According to the marketing centres, 7,627 tonnes fishes landed in the current season were found in four marketing centres. Of these, 4,475 tonnes fishes landed in the main marketing centre of Rangamati, 2,377 tonnes fishes in Kaptai sub-centre, 495 tonnes in Mahalchari centre and 278 tonnes fishes in Marishya sub-centre.
Manager of the Kaptai Lake Fisheries Development and Marketing Centers Commander Md Ashraful Alam Bhuiyan said, “Development activities have taken through the head office to bring more transparency in customs collection and to increase the production of various fish.” To increase the fish production, the government directed the authorities concerned to stop all fishing at Kaptai Lake for three months from April 25 to July 24 next.
The local administration has taken a decision to grow fishes at Kaptai Lake smoothly every year. Rangamati Deputy Commissioner Md Mosharaf Hossain Khan said, “We took the decision to net fishes in the lake. I hope that fishes can be grown up smoothly and naturally for the step to stop fishing at the lake. I also hope that we can collect more fishes after stopping fishing for next several months.” Sources said the administration will harvest 6.5 million tonnes of carp fishes at the lake this month. The average annual production of fish is more than 7,000 tonnes.