Fishers feel the pinch of hilsa catching ban
Fishers in the coastal district of Patuakhali are yet to get any support from the government's Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme even though eight days have passed since the 22-day ban on catching hilsa began on October 7.
According to a government circular, each fisher under the food security programme is supposed to receive 25 kilogrammes of rice to help sustain their families during the ban while it was 20 kilogrammes last year.
"Some 15.69 lakh tonnes of rice have already been allocated for beneficiaries of the VGF," said Azaharul Islam, district fisheries officer of Patuakhali.
Sources at the fisheries department say that 63,800 of the 77,324 registered fishers in Patuakhali have been brought under the programme, leaving around 18 per cent outside coverage due to a lack of allocation.
Of the listed fishers in the district, Kalapara upazila has the highest concentration with 19,100 while Galachipa upazila comes in second with 14,400 and Rangabali upazila takes third with 11,000.
Each fisher under the food security programme is supposed to receive 25 kilogrammes of rice to help sustain their families during the ban
Meanwhile, there are 7,000 fishers in Dashmina upazila, 6,000 in Baufal upazila, 3,000 in Patuakhali sadar upazila, and 1,650 each in the Mirzaganj and Dumki upazilas.
The government had decided to roll out a food support programme for fishers, particularly those who catch hilsa, as it becomes difficult for them to sustain their livelihoods during the ban period.
Md Motaleb Majhee, a fisher in Kalapara upazila, said it has become difficult to maintain his family of six as he has been unable to catch fish ever since the ban started.
"Till now I have not got food support from the fisheries office even though I learnt I am supposed to get 25 kilogrammes of rice. I can't support my family like this as there is no alternative job," he added.
Jalal Mridha, another fisher of the same area, said he could not pay his daughter's tuition fees as he is currently out of work.
"Besides, I am often not in a position to buy rice and other daily essentials such as oil due to the high prices. So, the ban is making my situation even worse," he added.
Masud, a fisher of Charipara village under Kalapara upazila, said 90 per cent of people in the region make a living through fishing.
"But it is now difficult to manage three meals a day as our income has stopped," he added.
Babul Mia, another local fisher, said he is having to moonlight as a rickshaw puller to provide for his family due to the lack of work.
These are not isolated cases though as many fishers in the region are passing hard days amid the lack of food support.
Md Anwar Hosain, secretary of the Mahipur Fishing Trawler Owners Association, said around 1,200 fishing trawlers employing about 25,000 fishers in the union are engaged in fishing hilsa and other ocean fish.
Didar Uddin Ahmed Masum, president of the Mahipur Fisheries Artdar (warehouse) Cooperative Society, said they have been demanding a reconsideration of the ban from the very beginning as the fishers have nothing to eat otherwise.
About Tk 28,000 crore worth of hilsa were caught last year but maintaining this production level has become a big challenge amid the ban, he added.
Sankar Chandra Boidhya, upazila nirbahi officer of Kalapara, said they have received allocations of rice from the district fisheries office and hope to distribute it among the beneficiaries within next week.
"We have already issued delivery orders to all UP chairmen for the VGF rice," he said, adding that all listed fishermen will get their rice very soon.
Md Azaharul Islam, district fisheries officer of Patuakhali, said the 15.95 lakh tonnes of rice allocated for 63,800 fishers has already been distributed among all eight upazila parishads.
The rice will now be given to fishers as per the beneficiary lists provided by the union parishads concerned, he added.
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