Dry fish processing takes toll on reserved forest
Around 30 shades for labourers for processing dry fish have been set up in the reserved forests
OUR CORRESPONDENT, Patuakhali
The processing of dry fish is destroying the protected forests of Kalapara. Here fishermen have been selling dry fish to traders from Sayedpur, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Bagerhat, and Kuakata.
Locals claim that the dry fish industry is taking a toll on both the fishery and forest sectors. Some influential people, in collusion with unscrupulous officials in the local administration, are carrying on the processing of dry fish against government regulations.
Sources say around 30 shades for labourers for processing dry fish have been set up in the reserved forests of the Ashakhali area of Mahipur, adjacent to the sea estuary. Apart from this, there are 12 such shades on the east end of the Khaprabhanga river at Kawarchar and 17 of them in Ashakhali. One of the processing fields is covered by a row of trawlers containing illegal Behundi nets. Around hundred maunds of fries are caught daily in these nets. Hundreds of fishermen are involved in this massive operation. Huge set-ups for drying fish and dwelling places for fishermen have been built with timbre by cutting down trees.
A businessman from the Ashakhali area said that they were paying forest department officials every month for cutting down trees and collection wood from the forest. He, however, declined to reveal the total amount paid to the forest officials.
Sources say that 17 dry fish fields of Ashakhali were run by Rahmatullah and 13 such fields of Cowarchar by Riyadh.
However, Riyadh claimed that poor local fishermen maintained their livelihood by hunting fish. I try to help them, he said.
Rahmatullah claimed that they saved the fishermen from being harassed by the administration. Kamruzzaman, in-charge of the Kuakata naval police outpost, said: I often carry out drives. But I cant catch the fishermen because we dont have a boat.
