Staff Reporter :
Speakers at a seminar on Saturday laid emphasis on ensuring access and participation of fisherman community in coastal resource management. They held the view that it would ensure sustainable management of resources if the policies and their execution can be based on involvement of the stakeholders in question.
The seminar titled ‘Challenges in Ensuring Access to Coastal
Resources: Ecosystem and Fishing Communities of Cox’s Bazar’ was organized by COAST Trust – an NGO and held at the auditorium of the body.
Md Mujubul Haque Munir, Assistant Director of COAST, Senior Fisheries Officer of Cox’s Bazar Upazila Dr Moin Uddin Ahmad, Fisheries officer of Ramu and Moheshkhali upazila Md. Moshiur Rahman among others spoke on the occasion. Fishermen, fish workers and CSO leaders from Cox’s Bazar, Bhola, Kurigram, Kishireganj and Bagerhat participated in the program.
The discussion concentrated on COAST trust led study in association with International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) on resources and access of the fishers in the Cox’s Bazar area to the management of the fish stock in the coastal areas.
They held the view that the community people, specially the fishers communities are facing various challenges in securing their access to the existing resources such as: mangrove forests which is being leased out or grabbed by the influential persons.
They also control local market and supply chains and boats as most fishers do not have their own boat and nets. Fish workers also don’t get minimum wages and have no platform to raise their voices.
Speakers made specific recommendations including the need for establishing platform to raise their voices, capacity building programs, financial and technical support, alternative income options. There is the need for legal reform, they said.
