UNB, Khulna :
As the government has imposed a one-year ban on access to resources in the Sundarbans, the livelihood of about 35 lakh forest-dependent people has become uncertain.
The ban has been put in place with an aim to protect the wildlife and forest resources of the Sundarbans from intruders and poachers.
However, the fishermen, honey and wood collectors who solely rely on the forest for survival are at a risk of being unemployed as no other alternative income generation has been arranged for them yet.
The brunt of the restrictions of movement inside the Sundarbans has severely affected local fishermen. Earlier, they used to go for fishing via Dublar Char-Alorkol route through the Poshur River in the Sundarbans that took 8 hours in the journey. But, now due to the ban, they need to go through Baleshwar-Bogi and Char Dowani which takes about 32 hours.
Talking to UNB, some fishermen alleged that they do not have enough ice to preserve fishes for 32 long hours, and, hence, they have stopped fishing.
Around 50,000 fishermen in the area are now jobless even though they have legal permits to conduct fishing. This has led to an acute shortage of fish in Khulna’s kitchen markets as no new supply of fish are available to be put on sale.
Md Amir Hossain, general manager of Fisheries Development Corporation (FDC), said, “The fish caught by local fishermen fulfill 60 percent of the annual fish consumption in Khulna. The government also earns about Tk 50 lakh revenue from Khulna’s No 5 fish market every year. But this year, the revenues will fall as the fishermen are not being able to go for the fishing due to ban.”
Fish trader Shahidul Islam Bhuiyan said, “I’ve invested Tk 20 lakh in fish trade this year. But I didn’t get a single piece of fish till now because of the ban.”
Other boats are allowed to move through the Poshur River except fishing boats. If this continues, the fish trade will come to a complete standstill, he added.
Md Ramzan Hawladar, chairman of Khulna Wholesale Fish Traders Organization, told UNB, “Due to scarce supplies resulting from the ban, fish prices have shot up. If this continues, we’ll lose all of our fish business. We’re planning to launch a large scale movement to protest the ban.”
Maj (retd) Zia Uddin, chairman of Fishermen Group, said, “Fishermen do not destroy any resources of the forest. They know they have to rely on the forest and its rivers to survive. This ban will prove deadly for local fishermen here.”
He added that all concerned are trying to take the issue to the high-ups in the government so that the ban can be overturned in favour of the Khulna fishermen through the Prime Minister’s intervention.
Meanwhile, as Bangladeshi fishermen are unable to fish, fishermen from neighboring India and Myanmar are violating Bangladesh’s maritime boundaries engaging in illegal fishing in Bangladeshi waters.
As the government has imposed a one-year ban on access to resources in the Sundarbans, the livelihood of about 35 lakh forest-dependent people has become uncertain.
The ban has been put in place with an aim to protect the wildlife and forest resources of the Sundarbans from intruders and poachers.
However, the fishermen, honey and wood collectors who solely rely on the forest for survival are at a risk of being unemployed as no other alternative income generation has been arranged for them yet.
The brunt of the restrictions of movement inside the Sundarbans has severely affected local fishermen. Earlier, they used to go for fishing via Dublar Char-Alorkol route through the Poshur River in the Sundarbans that took 8 hours in the journey. But, now due to the ban, they need to go through Baleshwar-Bogi and Char Dowani which takes about 32 hours.
Talking to UNB, some fishermen alleged that they do not have enough ice to preserve fishes for 32 long hours, and, hence, they have stopped fishing.
Around 50,000 fishermen in the area are now jobless even though they have legal permits to conduct fishing. This has led to an acute shortage of fish in Khulna’s kitchen markets as no new supply of fish are available to be put on sale.
Md Amir Hossain, general manager of Fisheries Development Corporation (FDC), said, “The fish caught by local fishermen fulfill 60 percent of the annual fish consumption in Khulna. The government also earns about Tk 50 lakh revenue from Khulna’s No 5 fish market every year. But this year, the revenues will fall as the fishermen are not being able to go for the fishing due to ban.”
Fish trader Shahidul Islam Bhuiyan said, “I’ve invested Tk 20 lakh in fish trade this year. But I didn’t get a single piece of fish till now because of the ban.”
Other boats are allowed to move through the Poshur River except fishing boats. If this continues, the fish trade will come to a complete standstill, he added.
Md Ramzan Hawladar, chairman of Khulna Wholesale Fish Traders Organization, told UNB, “Due to scarce supplies resulting from the ban, fish prices have shot up. If this continues, we’ll lose all of our fish business. We’re planning to launch a large scale movement to protest the ban.”
Maj (retd) Zia Uddin, chairman of Fishermen Group, said, “Fishermen do not destroy any resources of the forest. They know they have to rely on the forest and its rivers to survive. This ban will prove deadly for local fishermen here.”
He added that all concerned are trying to take the issue to the high-ups in the government so that the ban can be overturned in favour of the Khulna fishermen through the Prime Minister’s intervention.
Meanwhile, as Bangladeshi fishermen are unable to fish, fishermen from neighboring India and Myanmar are violating Bangladesh’s maritime boundaries engaging in illegal fishing in Bangladeshi waters.
