Prof ABM Mosharraf Husain, Bagerhat :
Just with the beginning of the breeding period of crabs the Forest Department imposed ban on catching all kinds of crabs from Sundarbans for two months with effect from January 01 to February 28 with a view to boost up the production of crabs in the forest area without providing the poor fishermen. As a result, several thousand fishermen who are solely depending on the catching crabs were thrown out jobs. Consequently, they are passing their days in a deplorable condition. On the other hand, it affected the export of the item.
According to the development organisation CARE, there are as many as 50/60 thousand fishermen families around Sundarbans forest depend on catching crabs. Babu Bidyut Kanti Mandol, President of Mongla Crab Traders’ Association told, different species of crabs worth Tk.15 lakh are sent from the different places of the country to Dhaka for exportation per month. But 99 per cent of them are caught from Sundarbans areas. But after the imposing ban on catching crabs exporting of the item was badly affected. As a result, thousand of fishermen and others who are associated with crab export business lost their jobs. But it is a matter of great regret that no step was taken any quarters so far to provide them, particularly the poor fishermen. According to the forest department, January and February are the breeding period of crabs. But he differed from it. He added, just before imposing ban on the catching of crabs from Sundarbans authorities concerned should think over the matter more than once. According to him, there are many similarities of crabs with lobsters and prawns.
The months May and June are the breeding period of lobsters and prawns. At that time crabs also lay/spawn more eggs and at the same time we get more eggs from female crabs.
Mahmudul Hasan, DFO (Divisional Forest Officer) of the Eastern Zone of Sundarbans (Bagerhat), export of crabs started for the first time form the financial year 1997-98. After a few years it was stopped. It was resumed from the financial year of 1982-83 and successively its demand was increased in the foreign markets. Consequently, the country is earning more foreign currencies from this sector.
Just with the beginning of the breeding period of crabs the Forest Department imposed ban on catching all kinds of crabs from Sundarbans for two months with effect from January 01 to February 28 with a view to boost up the production of crabs in the forest area without providing the poor fishermen. As a result, several thousand fishermen who are solely depending on the catching crabs were thrown out jobs. Consequently, they are passing their days in a deplorable condition. On the other hand, it affected the export of the item.
According to the development organisation CARE, there are as many as 50/60 thousand fishermen families around Sundarbans forest depend on catching crabs. Babu Bidyut Kanti Mandol, President of Mongla Crab Traders’ Association told, different species of crabs worth Tk.15 lakh are sent from the different places of the country to Dhaka for exportation per month. But 99 per cent of them are caught from Sundarbans areas. But after the imposing ban on catching crabs exporting of the item was badly affected. As a result, thousand of fishermen and others who are associated with crab export business lost their jobs. But it is a matter of great regret that no step was taken any quarters so far to provide them, particularly the poor fishermen. According to the forest department, January and February are the breeding period of crabs. But he differed from it. He added, just before imposing ban on the catching of crabs from Sundarbans authorities concerned should think over the matter more than once. According to him, there are many similarities of crabs with lobsters and prawns.
The months May and June are the breeding period of lobsters and prawns. At that time crabs also lay/spawn more eggs and at the same time we get more eggs from female crabs.
Mahmudul Hasan, DFO (Divisional Forest Officer) of the Eastern Zone of Sundarbans (Bagerhat), export of crabs started for the first time form the financial year 1997-98. After a few years it was stopped. It was resumed from the financial year of 1982-83 and successively its demand was increased in the foreign markets. Consequently, the country is earning more foreign currencies from this sector.
