Fuel price hike puts 100,000 Char Fasson fishers into financial hardship

*  Many trawler owners halt sea trips as fishing costs surge 
*  Fishermen seek subsidised diesel as rising operating costs threaten livelihoods

CHAR FASSON, BHOLA, Sept 24: A Tk 20 per litre hike in fuel prices has pushed more than 100,000 coastal fishermen in Char Fasson Upazila into severe financial hardship, with many struggling to afford fishing trips in rivers and the sea.

Diesel is the main fuel used by fishing trawlers, and the price hike has sharply increased the cost of each trip. But fish prices and fishermen’s incomes have not increased accordingly, leaving many marginal fishermen facing losses despite venturing into the waters in search of hilsa and other fish.

A visit to several fishing ghats in Samraj, Sluice Ghat, Betua and Babuganj in Char Kukri Mukri found fishermen and trawler owners deeply frustrated. Many trawlers were anchored at the ghats with their engines switched off as owners have temporarily stopped sending them to sea because they cannot afford the fuel costs.

Fishermen and trawler owners said a fishing trawler typically uses fuel worth around Tk 50,000-60,000 on each sea trip. The Tk 20 increase per litre therefore means a significant rise in fuel expenses on every trip, increasing the overall cost of fishing and the risk of losses.

Under the new pricing, diesel costs Tk 135 a litre, kerosene Tk 155, petrol Tk 160 and octane Tk 165 �" all Tk 20 higher than before.

The cost of ice, rice, lentils and other essentials has also risen, further increasing the expenses of each fishing trip.

Several fishermen returning from the rivers expressed frustration over the situation.

“Although fuel prices have increased, fish prices at the wholesale markets have not. If we fail to catch enough fish at sea, we cannot even recover the cost of fuel. We are returning home empty-handed, and it has become difficult to put food on our families’ tables,” one fisherman said.

Fishermen and fish traders in the area were already facing losses because of a shortage of hilsa in the Meghna and Tentulia rivers and the coastal waters of Char Fasson throughout the year.

The sudden increase in fuel prices has added to their existing difficulties, they said.
Many fishermen are now considering leaving the profession as they can no longer meet their daily household expenses. 

This could have long-term implications for the fisheries sector and the coastal economy, which is heavily dependent on fishing, said local fishermen and trawler owners.

Leaders of the Char Fasson Upazila Fishermen and Trawler Owners’ Association said around 34 percent of the country’s total hilsa demand is met from Bhola.

The Department of Fisheries has set a target of producing 180,000 tonnes of hilsa in Bhola this season. The district has around 168,000 registered fishermen, including those in Char Fasson, while many more people are directly or indirectly involved in fishing-related activities, they said.

They said the sudden fuel price hike had placed the fishing community under severe pressure.

They urged the government to provide diesel to registered fishing trawlers at subsidised prices through special cards, similar to the support provided for agricultural irrigation pumps.

Alternatively, they called for fuel prices to be reduced to a level affordable for marginal fishermen, considering their living conditions.

Fisheries officer Jayanta Kumar Apu said the authorities had been informed about the difficulties fishermen were facing following the fuel price hike.

“Government support or a special incentive should be arranged quickly to keep the livelihoods of this large coastal population and hilsa production running,” he said.