Villagers busy making fish traps in rainy season

As the people of haor regions have completed harvesting of Boro paddy and find no other crops to grow on flooded swamps in the rainy season they have started making fish traps to earn money. Villagers are busy making fish traps, locally called ‘Chai’ in Hazarikanda, Daspara, Imanpara, and Nayapara area of Itna Sadar Upazila and many other places. Once, the water bodies of Kishoreganj district were full of many varieties of fishes. Formation of shoals has reduced the fishing zone areas. But haor people still becomes busy during the rainy season to catch fish, especially shrimps.  To catch shrimps a special trap made with materials like bamboo, threads, and plastic bags is needed. A large number people are engaged in making these traps before the advent of the rainy reason. Catching of fish using these traps begins during the month of June and continues up to October. As the rainy season deepens, some extra help has to be hired to meet the demand of the traps. Unemployed people from other regions have to be called to help them in the trap making. Panju Mia, a 70-year-old man living in Hazarikanda village, said he has been making these traps for the last 50 years. Many have learnt making these traps from him, he said adding “I cannot remember the figure. It could be in thousands. “I can make 10 to 12 traps daily now and I somehow manage the family from the earnings”.  Md. Ali Islam, 30, of the same village, said he has been involved in this trap making business for the last 10 years. He said over the years prices of raw materials like bamboo, threads, plastic bags have gone up. A minimum of Tk60-Tk70 is needed to make a ‘Chai’ and wholesalers buy  them at Tk80-Tk85 each. The wholesalers then sell each Chai at Tk 120-Tk140 to retailers, he said. Md. Shukkur Ali, 50, of Imampara village, said he has been making these traps for the last 20 years. Thousands of people catch shrimps with the help of these traps during the rainy season every year.   Idris Ali, 70, of Nayapara village, has been making traps for the last 50 years.  He said as there is no institutional financing of this business the fishermen collect funds from the money lenders at high interest rates. “These lenders offer money on condition that we have to sell our products to them. Most of the time we are not well paid and we annot do anything about that”, said Idris Ali.  Tania, 10, a blind girl of Nayapara village, said as she cannot see she used to sit idle at home.   Since last year she has joined her parents Manik Mia and Rahima Khatun to help them making the traps.  Rakesh Chandra Das, Bipul Chandra Das, Sanjana Rani Das, of Daspara village alleged that they were being cheated by the money lenders. They are urging the concerned authorities to declare the trap making as a cottage industry and extend financial help so that they do not fall victim to the traps of money lenders and help the industry grow.

 

Villagers busy making fish traps in rainy season

As the people of haor regions have completed harvesting of Boro paddy and find no other crops to grow on flooded swamps in the rainy season they have started making fish traps to earn money. Villagers are busy making fish traps, locally called Chai in Hazarikanda, Daspara, Imanpara, and Nayapara area of Itna Sadar Upazila and many other places. Once, the water bodies of Kishoreganj district were full of many varieties of fishes. Formation of shoals has reduced the fishing zone areas. But haor people still becomes busy during the rainy season to catch fish, especially shrimps. To catch shrimps a special trap made with materials like bamboo, threads, and plastic bags is needed. A large number people are engaged in making these traps before the advent of the rainy reason. Catching of fish using these traps begins during the month of June and continues up to October. As the rainy season deepens, some extra help has to be hired to meet the demand of the traps. Unemployed people from other regions have to be called to help them in the trap making. Panju Mia, a 70-year-old man living in Hazarikanda village, said he has been making these traps for the last 50 years. Many have learnt making these traps from him, he said adding I cannot remember the figure. It could be in thousands. I can make 10 to 12 traps daily now and I somehow manage the family from the earnings. Md. Ali Islam, 30, of the same village, said he has been involved in this trap making business for the last 10 years. He said over the years prices of raw materials like bamboo, threads, plastic bags have gone up. A minimum of Tk60-Tk70 is needed to make a Chai and wholesalers buy them at Tk80-Tk85 each. The wholesalers then sell each Chai at Tk 120-Tk140 to retailers, he said. Md. Shukkur Ali, 50, of Imampara village, said he has been making these traps for the last 20 years. Thousands of people catch shrimps with the help of these traps during the rainy season every year. Idris Ali, 70, of Nayapara village, has been making traps for the last 50 years. He said as there is no institutional financing of this business the fishermen collect funds from the money lenders at high interest rates. These lenders offer money on condition that we have to sell our products to them. Most of the time we are not well paid and we annot do anything about that, said Idris Ali. Tania, 10, a blind girl of Nayapara village, said as she cannot see she used to sit idle at home. Since last year she has joined her parents Manik Mia and Rahima Khatun to help them making the traps. Rakesh Chandra Das, Bipul Chandra Das, Sanjana Rani Das, of Daspara village alleged that they were being cheated by the money lenders. They are urging the concerned authorities to declare the trap making as a cottage industry and extend financial help so that they do not fall victim to the traps of money lenders and help the industry grow.