Despite enacting different laws and regulations, both old and new, Bangladesh has faced a decline in marine fish stocks and diversity over the years, thanks to the rampant use of industrial trawlers and unauthorized fishing gear in permitted fishing zones.
A study suggests that 475 species of marine fish were present in 1971 in Bangladesh, while the figures came down to 394 in 2021 due to various anthropogenic activities, including juvenile catches, overexploitation, obstructions to migratory routes, pollution and climate change.
For instance, industrial trawlers allegedly often fish at a 40 meters (131 feet) depth of the sea where only the artisanal fishers are allowed to operate their activities.
Mostafizur Rahman, a fishermen based in Chittagong, has been fishing in the Bay of Bengal for the last 40 years; he described the scarcity in this way: “To earn a modest income for one week, my colleagues and I used to stay in the sea for around about 24 hours in a week, even 20 years ago.
However, nowadays, we must venture twice for the same period to get the same amount of fish.
The other important thing is, he added, was that at one time, the diversity of fish was greater, but now fishers can find only a few types.
Acknowledging the issue, Syed Md. Alamgir, director-general of the Bangladesh Department of Fisheries, said the combined impact of destructive fishing in the Bay of Bengal with the violation of regulations has significantly destabilized the coastal fisheries resource base. Because of the rising strain on the marine fishing industry, artisanal fishing is now too low-paying for many fishers to make a living.