Thousands of fishermen and their family members in Patuakhali district lead miserable lives as the government declared five rivers including Tetulia in the district hilsa sanctuaries and banned fishing in the areas for March and April.The government didn’t take any initiative to support the fishermen. Without any income, they are struggling hard. Many skip meals or eat half a meal.The government declared about 100 square kilometer area between Char Rustum in Patuakhali and Char Bheduria in Bhola hilsa sanctuary.Around 10 thousand fishermen depend on the rivers for their livelihoods. Fishermen said that the government has imposed ban on fishing in the areas but didn’t offer financial support to the fishermen.Many of them cannot win bread for their family members while some ones are catching fish flouting the government direction, endangering the sanctuary for hilsa.A fisherman Zahid, also a resident of Char Meyajan in Chandradwip union, said, “The government imposed ban for 10 days, we accepted. After ten days break, two-month long ban was imposed.”“We had to buy thread netted nets taking micro-credit as current nets were banned. If we don’t catch fish, how will we pay installments?” he added.Senior fisheries officer in Patuakhali told Jago News, “Fish production will increase, if we can make fishermen not catch fish in the sanctuaries for two months during this time every year.”He said that the government is considering assistance for fishermen for the time when there is a ban for fishing.
(The article originally published in Bangla edition of Jagonews24.com is written in English by Zahidul Islam)