Alternative livelihoods for poor fishermen

Other employment initiatives like aquaculture, cage culture, net making/mending, poultry and duck rearing, livestock, small-enterprise, share cropping, driving, fishing in trawler, interest-free loans and grants should be arranged

Bangladesh, the world's largest delta, is crisscrossed by big rivers and their tributaries and distributaries. These huge, inland, sweet water bodies together with the expanse of saline water in the Bay of Bengal provide the basis for a large and diversified fisheries sector. Fisheries have always played an integral role in the lives of the people of Bangladesh. It is more ancient than the profession of agriculture itself.

The fisheries sector of Bangladesh contributes 3.69 per cent to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and fish accounts for 60 per cent of national animal protein consumption. The sector also plays an important role in rural employment generation and poverty alleviation.

The government imposed a two-month ban on catching of all sorts of fish at six hilsha sanctuaries from March 1, 2019 to April 30, 2019 to protect jhatka (hilsha fry less than nine inches long). The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock slapped the ban to prevent the catching of jhatka. The sanctuaries are- 100 km of lower Meghna estuary Shatnol to Char Alexander of Chandpur-Lakshmipur, 90km tributary of the River Meghna from Char Ilsha to Char Pial of Bhola, 100km of River Tetulia from Bheduria to Char Rustam of Bhola-Patuakhali, 40km of River Andharmanik from Kalapara-Golbunia point of Patuakhali to the confluence of the Bay of Bengal, 20 km of lower Padma from Tarabunia to Bhomkara of Satkhira and 82km of River Tetulia from Hijla to Mehendiganj of Barishal.

In the coastal zone of Bangladesh around 0.5 million (family members 2.7 million) household’s primary income source is fishing. Over 160,000 fishermen and estimated 185,000 fry shrimp collectors are involved in the sector. It is really difficult to update statistics because many people opt for fishing due to population pressure, economic constraints in agricultural sector, and adverse effects of climate change. Small-scale fishery is seen as a last resort to earn one’s livelihood.

Poverty in fishing community is multidimensional that usually include declining fish catches, lack of security (mainly in the fishing grounds due to piracy), natural disasters such as cyclones or floods, lack of capital, lack of employment opportunities, and lack of health and education/skills. Though law enforcing agencies are very vigilant to protect jhatka but few fishermen try to catch it due to several causes. These are maintaining family expenses, payment of installment of loan, pressure from local moneylenders, availability of monofilament nets, uncertainty to get hilsha during peak season, and lack of awareness.

The government provides 120 kilograms rice to each fishing family during jhatka catching ban period. Unfortunately, only 58.82 per cent of total fishing families receive such support. This support is so little that it has no significant impact.

Moreover, the average size of fishing households (6.34) is higher than national average (4.50) referred in Household Income-Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2010. However, fishermen usually receive loans and social shelter from moneylenders, like Aratdar (wholesaler)/Paiker (middleman who gives advance payment; mostly representative of wholesaler)/Dadandar(advance payment giver), at high interest rates and generally on the condition that the borrower will sell all catches to the moneylenders. Most of the fishermen are entrapped to vicious cycle of moneylenders during this

period.  

Few fishermen of selected districts receive rickshaws, rickshaw-vans, poultry and sewing machines for alternative employment during the ban period. But, in majority cases, they do not have required set of skills to operate it.

Employment initiatives like aquaculture, cage culture, net making/mending, poultry and duck rearing, livestock (goat, sheep, and cow rearing), small-enterprise, share cropping, driving, fishing in trawler, interest-free loans and grants should be arranged by the government and NGOs.

Specialized NGOs of coastal areas should be engaged for preparing list of fishing households to provide them with different employment opportunities. Scope of alternative income should be facilitated through co-management approach, profits sharing from hilsha marketing, special national budget allocation and local resource mobilisation for disadvantaged fishermen.

The writer is a development activist. E-mail: [email protected]

 

Alternative livelihoods for poor fishermen

Other employment initiatives like aquaculture, cage culture, net making/mending, poultry and duck rearing, livestock, small-enterprise, share cropping, driving, fishing in trawler, interest-free loans and grants should be arranged

Bangladesh, the worlds largest delta, is crisscrossed by big rivers and their tributaries and distributaries. These huge, inland, sweet water bodies together with the expanse of saline water in the Bay of Bengal provide the basis for a large and diversified fisheries sector. Fisheries have always played an integral role in the lives of the people of Bangladesh. It is more ancient than the profession of agriculture itself. The fisheries sector of Bangladesh contributes 3.69 per cent to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and fish accounts for 60 per cent of national animal protein consumption. The sector also plays an important role in rural employment generation and poverty alleviation. The government imposed a two-month ban on catching of all sorts of fish at six hilsha sanctuaries from March 1, 2019 to April 30, 2019 to protect jhatka (hilsha fry less than nine inches long). The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock slapped the ban to prevent the catching of jhatka. The sanctuaries are- 100 km of lower Meghna estuary Shatnol to Char Alexander of Chandpur-Lakshmipur, 90km tributary of the River Meghna from Char Ilsha to Char Pial of Bhola, 100km of River Tetulia from Bheduria to Char Rustam of Bhola-Patuakhali, 40km of River Andharmanik from Kalapara-Golbunia point of Patuakhali to the confluence of the Bay of Bengal, 20 km of lower Padma from Tarabunia to Bhomkara of Satkhira and 82km of River Tetulia from Hijla to Mehendiganj of Barishal. In the coastal zone of Bangladesh around 0.5 million (family members 2.7 million) households primary income source is fishing. Over 160,000 fishermen and estimated 185,000 fry shrimp collectors are involved in the sector. It is really difficult to update statistics because many people opt for fishing due to population pressure, economic constraints in agricultural sector, and adverse effects of climate change. Small-scale fishery is seen as a last resort to earn ones livelihood. Poverty in fishing community is multidimensional that usually include declining fish catches, lack of security (mainly in the fishing grounds due to piracy), natural disasters such as cyclones or floods, lack of capital, lack of employment opportunities, and lack of health and education/skills. Though law enforcing agencies are very vigilant to protect jhatka but few fishermen try to catch it due to several causes. These are maintaining family expenses, payment of installment of loan, pressure from local moneylenders, availability of monofilament nets, uncertainty to get hilsha during peak season, and lack of awareness. The government provides 120 kilograms rice to each fishing family during jhatka catching ban period. Unfortunately, only 58.82 per cent of total fishing families receive such support. This support is so little that it has no significant impact. Moreover, the average size of fishing households (6.34) is higher than national average (4.50) referred in Household Income-Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2010. However, fishermen usually receive loans and social shelter from moneylenders, like Aratdar (wholesaler)/Paiker (middleman who gives advance payment; mostly representative of wholesaler)/Dadandar(advance payment giver), at high interest rates and generally on the condition that the borrower will sell all catches to the moneylenders. Most of the fishermen are entrapped to vicious cycle of moneylenders during this period. Few fishermen of selected districts receive rickshaws, rickshaw-vans, poultry and sewing machines for alternative employment during the ban period. But, in majority cases, they do not have required set of skills to operate it. Employment initiatives like aquaculture, cage culture, net making/mending, poultry and duck rearing, livestock (goat, sheep, and cow rearing), small-enterprise, share cropping, driving, fishing in trawler, interest-free loans and grants should be arranged by the government and NGOs. Specialized NGOs of coastal areas should be engaged for preparing list of fishing households to provide them with different employment opportunities. Scope of alternative income should be facilitated through co-management approach, profits sharing from hilsha marketing, special national budget allocation and local resource mobilisation for disadvantaged fishermen. The writer is a development activist. E-mail: [email protected]