Dry fish production is being hampered in Tarash upazila of Sirajganj te fishermen in the upazila are not getting any fish from Chalan Beel, even though it’s the peak season for catching fish.
The water starts receding from the Beel at this time of the year and fishermen usually get a lot of fish during this time. However, this year, there is scarcity of fish in the Beel, which disrupting the dry fish production.
Majeda Khatun from Laluakandi village in Magurabinod union and Mafiha Khatun from Naogaon village in Naogaon union said that at least 25 women workers worked across five dried fish processing yards last year. This year, only three of them are working, and even then, work was halted for a month and a half starting at the middle of September. ‘We are struggling to get by,’ they said.
Dried fish traders Delwar Hossain, Sujan, Gafur, Nannu, Alam, Jillur, and Mannan said that Mahishluti Bazaar and the surrounding fish markets in Tarash upazila, a region densely populated around Chalan Beel, once had 25 drying yards for fish. Last year, dried fish was produced at five of these yards. However, due to the scarcity of raw fish this year, ten traders collectively decided to produce dried fish at only one yard. Despite searching the markets and nearby fish depots, no fish could be found, resulting in a one-and-a-half-month halt in dried fish production. Last year, each of the five traders sold dried fish worth Tk 50 lakh during this time of year. However, this year, the combined sales of 10 traders have reached only Tk 22 lakh taka so far.
Fishermen Farhad Ali, Matin, Zainal from Kundail village in Saguna union of Tarash upazila, Mokshed from Makorshon village, and Azgar Ali from Tetulia village said they rely on fishing during the rauny season to sustain their families. There were three floods in Chalan Beel this year. During the first flood in the middle of the August, some fish were available, but since the September and October floods, casting nets has yielded no fish. They are now passing days without work. Previously, when water would recede from the Beel, an abundance of fish was found. This year, water has receded from higher grounds, revealing vast fields, yet there is no sign of fish.
Marzina Islam, a lecturer in the Zoology Department at Tarash Degree College, mentioned that the use of ‘China Duari’ fishing nets, which capture mother fish and juveniles, has drastically reduced the fish population in Chalan Beel. China Duari fishing nets are more sophisticated than the current net. These nets trap snakes, eels, crabs, frogs, snails, and other aquatic creatures. Fishermen sell fish and eels but kill other aquatic animals, which poses a severe threat to the biodiversity of Chalan Beel.
Abdur Razzak Razu, the convener of the Chalan Beel Protection Movement Committee, commented that unless the use of all banned nets, including China Duari nets, is stopped in Chalan Beel, there will come a time when no fish can be found in it. Ultimately, no aquatic species will survive to reproduce.
Tarash Upazila Fisheries Officer Md Masgul Azad said that although there is still some water in the beel, it is expected that fishermen will be able to catch a good number of fish towards the end of the season. Despite enforcement efforts, it is challenging to prevent the use of China Duari nets, which are spread throughout the large beel area at night to catch fish and other aquatic creatures. Only public awareness can protect the biodiversity of Chalan Beel. The dried fish from Chalan Beel, made from tasty freshwater species like Punti, Khailsa, Chanda, Mola, Icha, Tengra, Guchi, Kakila, Taki, Shol, and Boal, is highly valued across the country. Additionally, it has also high demand among Bangladeshis living abroad.
