Thousands of fishers idle as rough seas force trawlers to suspend fishing

SARANKHOLA, BAGERHAT, July 12:  The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has left the sea rough along Bangladesh's south-western coast, forcing hundreds of fishing trawlers to suspend hilsa fishing at the height of the season and raising fears of losses worth crores of taka.

Relentless rain and strong winds have kept fishermen from venturing into the deep sea since July 3. To avoid danger, hundreds of trawlers have taken shelter in canals of the Sundarban and at safe coastal landing stations, leaving thousands of fishermen without work.

Local fishermen, trawler owners and fish traders said no trawlers are currently operating in the deep sea because of the rough weather. Several trawlers reportedly capsized while returning to shore.

The returning vessels are now anchored at safer locations, including Dublar Char, Alorkol, Meher Ali, Bhedakhali and coastal areas such as Patharghata, Mohipur and Nidraskhina.

Fish traders Habibur Rahman and Md Kabir Hawlader of Sarankhola  said fishermen had resumed fishing after the government's 58-day fishing ban ended, but the first few trips yielded poor catches of hilsa.

They said fishermen and investors are now grappling with three major challenges -- a shortage of hilsa, piracy at sea and persistent bad weather.

According to them, each fishing trip requires an investment of Tk 250,000 to Tk 300,000 for fuel, provisions and advance payments to fishermen. With fishing suspended for several days, those investments are now at risk.

As fishermen have lost their source of income, trawler owners are also bearing their daily living expenses, further increasing financial losses.

Md Abul Hossain, President of the Sarankhola Fishing Trawler Owners' Association, said fishermen had been forced to return after rough waves made fishing impossible.

"For the past four days, more than 200 trawlers from Sarankhola  have remained sheltered in different canals and landing stations in the Sundarban. They cannot return to the sea until the weather improves," he said.

He said an average of Tk 300,000 had been invested in each of the upazila's more than 200 fishing trawlers, meaning around Tk 30 million has already been tied up because of the disruption.

"The biggest concern now is how trawler owners will finance their next fishing trips," he added.

Sarankhola  Senior Fisheries Officer Anjan Biswas said sea conditions remained extremely dangerous because of the depression.

"Fishermen have taken shelter in safe places to avoid accidents. The Department of Fisheries is issuing round-the-clock warnings and advising all trawlers not to venture into the sea until conditions improve," he said.

Md Shariful Islam, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of the Sarankhola  Range under the East Sundarban Division, said numerous trawlers had taken refuge in remote canals inside the Sundarban due to the adverse weather.

"All forest department outposts and camps have been placed on alert to ensure their safety, and we are ready to provide any necessary assistance," he said.

The prolonged disruption during the peak hilsa season has brought the coastal hilsa economy to a standstill. Stakeholders fear that unless the weather improves soon, losses across the fisheries sector -- from fishermen and trawler owners to wholesalers and traders -- will continue to mount.