The Bangladesh Coast Guard detained 34 fishermen and seized two illegal artisanal trawling boats along with about 1,000 kilograms of marine fish during operations in the deep-sea area near Cox’s Bazar. The operations were conducted on Thursday, February 5, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. by the Coast Guard vessel ‘Joy Bangla’, based on secret intelligence. The seized boats contained 12 trawling nets worth approximately 3.1 million taka.

According to Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq, the confiscated trawling equipment was later removed in the presence of the Chattogram marine fisheries inspector. The boats were returned to their owners after written undertakings, while the illegal nets were destroyed. The seized fish were sold at auction, and the proceeds were deposited into the government treasury.

The Coast Guard stated that similar operations will continue in the future to protect the country’s marine resources.