Many dead jellyfish have been floating on Cox’s Bazar beach for two days. Each jellyfish weighs 10 to 15 kg. Local environmentalists are urging an investigation into the cause of the sudden large number of jellyfish.

Local people said that dead jellyfish have been floating in the tidal water since Wednesday afternoon. In the afternoon at Daryanagar parasailing point on the beach, more than half a hundred jellyfish float together. Mohammad Rafiq (55), a fisherman from Daryanagar area, said that he has been fishing in the sea for three years, but he has never seen so many jellyfish floating at once.

Deepak Sharma, President of Cox’s Bazar Forest and Environment Conservation Council, said that dead jellyfish are floating in Daryanagar, Himachari, Inani and Teknaf’s Shahpari Island and Saint Martin Island north of Kalatali Beach in Cox’s Bazar. Jellyfish floated today Thursday. Some jellyfish are being eaten by dogs, some are buried under the sand. Many jellyfish are lying on the beach. It is important to investigate the reason for the sudden appearance of such a large number of jellyfish.

Cox’s Bazar Ocean Research Institute collected samples from the beach at around 10 pm yesterday. Abu Saeed Muhammad Sharif, head of the biological oceanographic division of the institution, said that after 65 days of fishing, all fishing trawlers have gone into the sea since July 23. Like other fish, jellyfish have also increased in breeding in the Bay of Bengal. Therefore, it is initially believed that the jellyfish died after being caught in the fishermen’s nets. Now floating in the tidal waters, it is being investigated whether pollution or other causes are behind the large number of jellyfish deaths.
Abu Saeed Muhammad Sharif said that if people come in contact with dead jellyfish lying on the beach, it may cause various problems including itching. He also said that after a certain period of time, these jellyfish disappear with the tide.

Fisheries scientists say that there are several species of jellyfish in the sea. The floating jellyfish are box species. Despite the name fish, jellyfish is not a fish.

Delwar Hossain, general secretary of Cox’s Bazar Fishing Boat Owners Association, said that more than 4,000 trawlers have gone into the sea to catch hilsa despite the intense heat. An average of 300 trawlers are returning to Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Maheshkhali, Kutubdia, Pekua and Chakriar ghats of the district along with Fisarighat of the city. But there are no reports of any trawlers catching jellyfish.