Munshiganj: Bangladesh Coast Guard and Fisheries Department in a drive seized 500 kilograms of jatka (hilsa fry less than 10 centimetres in length) from two ferries in the river Dhaleshwari on Thursday morning.

Munshiganj senior fishery officer Shahjada Khasru said a joint team of Coast Guard and the district fisheries department conducted a search in two Dhaka-bound ferries named MV Karnaphuli-3 and MV Farhan-2 and seized 500 kilograms of jatka.

The owners of the hilsa fry managed to flee the scene, added Shahjada Khasru.

The seized hilsa fry were distributed to local orphanages and madrasas.

The government imposed a ban on catching jatka from 1 November 2014 to 30 June 2015 to boost hilsa production.