Cash given through bank accounts to Hilsha fishermen in Bangladesh can support them during the period of time when Hilsha fishing is banned, suggested speakers at a discussion yesterday.
Fishermen in this profession find it difficult to maintain their livelihood when Hilsha fishing is banned for 11 days during the spawning season, and during the jatka ban from November 1 to May 31.
The national consultation titled Exploring Conservation Livelihood Win-Wins PPRC Research Findings on Hilsha Fishermen was held at The Daily Star Centre in the capital.
Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) organised the programme with support from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
PPRC carried out the study on 300 fishermen households in Barisal, Patuakhali, Bhola, Laxmipur and Chandpur. The study found that 41.7 percent of the fishermen have an average monthly income of Tk 8,333 or an income of Tk 52.4 per capita per day, which is below the poverty line.
Almost a third of the fishermen surveyed did not own any land, and were, on average, Tk 61,818 in debt.
The targeted vulnerable group often do not receive the 40kg of rice under the government’s Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme in the right amount and on time, said renowned economist Hossain Zillur Rahman, who presented the findings.
Besides, rice alone cannot meet food requirements of a family, he said.
Rickshaws, cattle, and poultry provided to fishermen as a part of the AIGA were not welcomed by the fishing community as they preferred their profession and sold off the items when Hilsha catching season begin, he said.
He suggested replacing the less-effective Alternative Income Generation Activities (AIGA) programme of the government with clear cash supplement for affected fishermen to cover non-rice daily essential costs.
Muhammad Yunus Farazi, president of a fishermen’s association in Lalua union under Kolapara of Patuakhali, said when fishermen asked for nets instead of rickshaws and cattle, they were given low quality nets.
Stating the high cost involved in transporting and distributing VGF rice, Harun-ur-Rashid, chairman of Char-Bhoirab union of Chandpur, said, With the registration card that government will soon issue to fishermen they can open accounts at Krishi Bank with Tk 10 and receive the government’s support directly without any middleman.
PPRC study recommended imposing a one percent tax on Hilsha export to create a Hilsha conservation fund, which in turn can be used for helping fishermen, and building Hilsha brand potential for global market.
2014 thedailystar.net