CLIMATE CHANGE AND HILSA FISHERY IN BANGLADESH: IMPACTS, VULNERABILITY AND ADAPTATION

Abstract

Climate change is expected to have wide impacts on coastal fisheries production and coastal fishers often bear the brunt of the natural calamities like cyclones. Nevertheless, there are relatively fewer studies that explored fishers’ vulnerability to climate change, particularly in Bangladesh context. The country is frequently suffered by severe climatic events therefore considered as one of the most climate vulnerable countries of the world. Based on field work in four hilsa fishing communities in Patuakhali, Barguna and Barisal districts of Bangladesh, this aimed at mapping out the anticipated impact of climate change on the country's single most important hilsa fishery and the associated fishing communities. To collect empirical data, bottom–up research approach was adopted and participants’ information was collected through 105 individual interviews, 8 focus group discussions, and 20 key informant interviews. To supplement empirical findings, time series data of cyclones and sea-borne depressions in the Bay of Bengal were analyzed. The result showed that every three years one severe catastrophic cyclone hits Bangladesh coast and hilsa fishers certainly the worst victim since they live close to coast and their occupation entails risky sea fishing. Cyclone wiped out their house and other physical assets and many fishers often had to start their livelihoods from scratch. Loss of fishing and other productive assets crippled the fishing capacity of the fishers. Fishers often had to return coast due to unfit weather condition that caused financial loss. In a desperate need to fishing income, fishers often ignored the cautionary signal of bad weather that resulted in physical injury or even death. Their target species also vulnerable to climate change impacts. As anadromous species, hilsa migrate upstream river of Bangladesh and after spawning they back towards sea for growth and maturation. However, change in climate-related parameters such as temperature, rainfall or siltation in river bed, for instances had potential negative impact on their migration patterns as well as breeding and growth performances. As a result, hilsa productivity in coastal waters decreased, many fishers perceived. In search of hilsa fish, fishers had to travel longer distance with increased fuel costs. All these events negatively affected fishers’ income, livelihoods and well- being. To cope with the impacts of climate change fishers adopted various strategies both at sea fishing and at household levels.. Fishers discontinued fishing on hearing of cautionary signal rough weather, they tied their boats together to prevent from being lost in the sea, In response to extreme events such as cyclone hilsa fishers households take various proactive strategies ( keeping valuable assets and domestic animals in safer place, going to cyclone shelter etc.), reactive strategies (savings, taking loans, relief, hard working, taking children out of school etc.). As a long term strategies fishers built their house on plinth, moving housing inside the coastal embankment, leaving fishery profession and switching to land based profession or migration to nearby city. Dredging of river, reducing overfishing, ensuring security in sea fishing, constructing cyclone shelter and physical infrastructures, providing easy access to credit systems, arranging alternative income activities and increasing institutional supports were the key proposals of fishers to secure their livelihoods.