Bangladesh's maritime borders are wide open to intruding foreign fishing trawlers in the absence effective patrolling by concerned agencies. Some 150 fishing trawlers from India alone intrude into Bangladeshi part of the Bay of Bengal and catch thousands of tons of fish each day. (The BD Financial Express )

If Burmese and Thai trawlers were estimated, the number would not be less than 200 per day, official sources said.

The Bangladesh Coastguard, entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the country's the coast from intrusion by alien fishing trawlers and curb smuggling through sea routes, is handicapped by lack of adequate number of sea-going vessels and other necessary equipment. It has only two sea-worthy vessels to cover a wide area in the Bay.

The Bay, a confluence of four major river systems including Iraboti of Myanmar, is rich in fish resources. Besides, the Bay has a unique feature, a "Swatch of No Grounds" or a Sea Canyon originating from the seabed creating a sanctuary for thousands of fish species.

"We do not have any survey aircraft and have only two patrol ships operating," said a Coast Guard officer explaining how tough it was for them to keep vigil at coastal belt stretching over 710 kilometer and 40,000 square-kilometer of sea-surface.

The Bay is home to varieties of fish, such as shrimp, hilsa, lobster, coral, shark, pamphlet and other crustacean.

"A medium-sized Indian trawler can catch and store around 40 tons of fish and we know that 150 such trawlers are fishing in our territory and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) each day," said the officer.

According to a conservative estimate, foreign trawlers are stealing fish worth Tk 20 million a day.

The coastguard officers are driving out 10 to 20 trawlers everyday from Bangladesh's territorial waters and EEZ but they come back again when patrol moves to other locations.
A very senior Coastguard official said they need seagoing vessels and aircraft to intensify surveillance and to protect sea resources from being stolen.

Created in 1994, the Coastguard has so far confiscated contraband products, such as cigarettes, liquor and timbers, worth Tk 1.26 billion (126crore).

The government alerted the Coastguard last year when Bangladesh was ranked among the top three sea-piracy prone countries in the world. "We are hopeful about getting two helicopters, for the first time, this year to strengthen our activities," another Coastguard officer said.

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