Fishers access to the common property waterbodies In the northern region of Bangladesh

Md Amzad Hossain,Md Enamul Haque,Md Shahanoor Alam,Mousumi Das

doi:10.3329/ralf.v2i1.23044

Abstract

The study was designed to explore the status of fishers access to the common property waterbodies (CPW) and associated problems of using CPW. Three upazillas (administrative units) of the Northern region of Bangladesh were selected for the empirical study. Data were collected from fishers, non-fishers and other stakeholders through structured interview schedules, physical observation, and participatory rural appraisal (PRA). The access of poor fishers group to the CPW was very limited in the study area. The government policy of revenue collection through leasing system badly affected the fishers group as they do not have required level of capital, unity, leadership and education. A revenue oriented fisheries management system with short lease periods was found to encourage over-fishing and destructive fishing by lessees, where the lessees were noted to sweep away all the fish stock as soon as their contract ended without considering the sustainable use of resource and biodiversity. Consequently, the productivity of the CPW is declining gradually. To ensure the effective access of fishers group to CPW and their sustainable use, an advised long-term community based management (CBM) plan needs to be developed with the effective participation of the fishers groups and other stakeholders.Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.2(1): 125-133, April 2015

Highlights

Fisheries are important sub-sector of agriculture in Bangladesh and play a significant role in nutrition, employment, foreign exchange earnings and food supply (Dey et al, 2005; Roos et al, 2007)
There are over 10,000 waterbodies in Bangladesh (Viswanathan et al, 2002) and they are leased to the highest bidder with a preference for fisher cooperatives but very often, either directly or by bidding through a cooperative, control ends in the hands of the rich and influential lessees
Leasing system of common property waterbodies (CPW) Government declared the pro-fishers oriented Jolmohal Policies restrict the lease of CPW within fishers.If an organization of real fishers is registered with cooperative department or department of social welfare at local level it will be qualified to participate in the lease process

Summary

Introduction

Fisheries are important sub-sector of agriculture in Bangladesh and play a significant role in nutrition, employment, foreign exchange earnings and food supply (Dey et al, 2005; Roos et al, 2007). Most of inland waterbodies were non-private or state property where fishing, animal grazing, fodder and plant harvesting were open to all. To facilitate the leasing process rivers and their tributaries are divided by the Ministry of Land (MoL) into several small arbitrary segments These segments or waterbodies are leased out through auction for the collection of revenue. Due to the private auction leasing system, fishers’ access to inland fisheries has become increasingly difficult and competition over the fisheries resources is becoming more intense and complex every year This leasing system created a group of middle agents, usually from rich and elite class, who with their economic and social powers, established perpetual authority over these resources and continued to be benefited at the expense of the professional and hereditary fishers (Khan, 2012)

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