Speakers at a seminar yesterday urged the authority concerned to ensure alternative income of the fishermen so that they could run the family during the ban on catching fish.

The demand came from a seminar titled ‘65 days ban on fishing in the Bay of Bengal: Impact on the coastal fishermen” at the city’s CIRDAP auditorium.

COAST Trust and Bangladesh Fish Workers’ with the support of Manusher Jonno Foundation and Danish Institute for Human Rights organised the seminar.

Among others, State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Md Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru, director general of the department of fisheries Abu Sayed Md Rashedul Haque, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation Shaheen Anam and  director (Marine Fisheries) Dr Md Abu Hasanat and executive director of COAST Trust Rezaul Karim Chowdhury also spoke at the seminar.

Though the production of hilsa in many countries of the world is decreasing but it is increasing in Bangladesh, Md Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru said.