UNB, Bhola :
Fishermen in the district are finding it difficult even to keep body and soul together due to scanty catches of hilsa in the river during the current lean season of the fish.
Due to scarcity of the fish, locally known a ‘White Gold’, many of the fishermen are bound to leave their profession.
Hundreds of fishermen suffer extremely as they could not repay the money they borrowed from local money lenders to run their profession and cannot maintain their families due to small catches of hilsa in the river.
After borrowing Tk20,000, Ilias, a fisherman from Shibpur, bought oil of Tk1000 for boat engine, went for fishing into the river with his four men and came back home with only one hilsa fish which was sold only for Tk400, he said during his visit to Bholar Khal fishery ghat.
Ilias got only Tk 300 by selling the fish as he would have to pay Tk100 as commission.
Ilias needs to buy food for his family but it is very hard for him to run a family with this money.
Under such circumstances, the fishermen need to take money as loan from local money lenders at high interest rate.
Monir, another fisherman, said with sorrow, Eid will be celebrated within a few days and their children were waiting for new clothes while his pocket was absolutely penniless.
Many of them, in such a situation, are thinking of an alternative option to earn money for livelihood.
Locals said in the last several years, hilsa fish worth several crores of taka sold in different fish markets in seven upazilas of the district, but this year the figure has come down to several lakhs of taka.
Ariful, Islam, a money lender of Bholar Khal Fishery Ghat, said, “I lent more than Tk 20 lakh to fishermen but now they are spending lazy time as there is scarcity of fish in the river.”
Senior Fishery Officer of Bhola sadar upazila Polash Halder said the hilsa scarcity was created due to climate change impact.
Fishermen in the district are finding it difficult even to keep body and soul together due to scanty catches of hilsa in the river during the current lean season of the fish.
Due to scarcity of the fish, locally known a ‘White Gold’, many of the fishermen are bound to leave their profession.
Hundreds of fishermen suffer extremely as they could not repay the money they borrowed from local money lenders to run their profession and cannot maintain their families due to small catches of hilsa in the river.
After borrowing Tk20,000, Ilias, a fisherman from Shibpur, bought oil of Tk1000 for boat engine, went for fishing into the river with his four men and came back home with only one hilsa fish which was sold only for Tk400, he said during his visit to Bholar Khal fishery ghat.
Ilias got only Tk 300 by selling the fish as he would have to pay Tk100 as commission.
Ilias needs to buy food for his family but it is very hard for him to run a family with this money.
Under such circumstances, the fishermen need to take money as loan from local money lenders at high interest rate.
Monir, another fisherman, said with sorrow, Eid will be celebrated within a few days and their children were waiting for new clothes while his pocket was absolutely penniless.
Many of them, in such a situation, are thinking of an alternative option to earn money for livelihood.
Locals said in the last several years, hilsa fish worth several crores of taka sold in different fish markets in seven upazilas of the district, but this year the figure has come down to several lakhs of taka.
Ariful, Islam, a money lender of Bholar Khal Fishery Ghat, said, “I lent more than Tk 20 lakh to fishermen but now they are spending lazy time as there is scarcity of fish in the river.”
Senior Fishery Officer of Bhola sadar upazila Polash Halder said the hilsa scarcity was created due to climate change impact.
