Ban of &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;jatka&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; (Juvenile Hilsa Fish) Catching: Views and Coping Options of Artisanal Fishers in Coastal Bangladesh

Mohammed Mamun Rashid

doi:10.11648/j.ajbes.20160204.12

Abstract

This paper examines adverse effects at lives and livelihoods of traditional Hindu fishermen and Muslim fishermen due to periodical restriction on jatka (juvenile hilsa fish) catching in coastal Bangladesh. A total of 100 respondents from both religious groups were purposively selected from four study sites. Traditionally, the Jaladas (slave of the water) were engaged in the fishing profession who belonging to the Hinduism and one of low caste-bound people. They are being put under pressure by incoming Muslims who take up fishing as their profession. This study finds that though Hindu fishermen seriously face dimensions of abject poverty but majority of them follow government rule where Muslim fishers don’t care. In coping strategies, majority of Hindu fishermen have psycho-social barrier to change fishing profession. Their coping options are also limited than Muslim fishermen. This paper suggests that policy instruments and fishery management of Bangladesh should give special focus on socio-economic & cultural aspects of those downtrodden people for inclusive development.

Highlights

Fisheries and aquaculture is a source not just of health and of wealth
Traditional fishing communities, which are mainly Hindu, are being put under pressure by incoming Muslims who take up fishing as their profession
Total 100 artisanal fishermen were purposively selected from four coastal villages of Bangladesh

Summary

Introduction

Fisheries and aquaculture is a source not just of health and of wealth. Employment in the sector has grown faster than the world’s population. The sector provides jobs to tens of millions and supports the livelihoods of hundreds of millions [1]. Bangladesh, the world’s largest deltaic zone, is crisscrossed by big rivers, and their tributaries and distributaries. As a land with an abundance of torrential monsoon rains, most of the plain-lands remain inundated during the monsoon season, turning the countryside into a big reservoir of fresh water for almost half of the year. These huge, inland, sweet water bodies together with the expanse of saline water in the Bay of Bengal provide the basis for a large and diversified fisheries sector. Fisheries of Bangladesh fall broadly into three main categories: inland capture, inland culture and marine fisheries

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Conclusion