UNDERSTANDING FISHERY EXIT AND ENTRY IN CHITTAGONG COAST OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

Fishing is one of the most important traditional livelihood activities of the coastal communities which plays a significant role in the socioeconomic condition of small-scale fishers in Chittagong and considered as a major source of income through small-scale fishing in Bangladesh. The present study was conducted on the root level of coastal fishermen community of Kumira ghat and Halishahar sea beach area to understand the drivers that are responsible for exit and entry into fishery. The empirical analysis shows that main drivers which cause push to fishers to leave fishery are poverty cycle, bodily insecurity with illiteracy and pulled out to leave the fishing profession. Fishers’ poverty is a complex issues and a wide array of causal factors are responsible for the complexity of poverty in fisheries. Fishermen are threatened by low productivity of fisheries resources, low income, increasing fishing operation cost, frequent natural disasters, bouts of diseases, large household’s size, heavy debt bondage, sea piracy and other activities of illegal elements both in sea and on land. Lack of financial assets, fishing gears and crafts, inaccessibility to market and formal credit institution, changes in technology and competition, seasonality in fishing, conservation measures, remoteness of living areas, lack of education and awareness, mobility, lack of social security, low political voice also marginalize the fishing communities. Different livelihood crisis drivers are shown in dimensions such as inside to inside, inside to outside, outside to outside which lead to livelihood failure and profitable drivers discuss in outside to inside in result. Pollution of ship-breaking and industrial effluent discharge by different canals in Kumira area is most vulnerable and sluice gate of the canal brings more grief in their livelihood for Kumira fishers. The monthly income per fishermen of both study area was comparatively much lower from the national per capita income. On the whole life the fishermen are in risk and they have no refreshment and no different taste of life. Therefore poverty alleviation in fisheries community can improve their livelihood and appropriate steps should be taken such as proper use of effluent plant to reduce industrial pollution and reduce ship breaking pollution. Government should give loan for them at low interest rate and create alternative job opportunities in off season or ban season, government should also ensure basic education and health service for fishing community, to mitigate the risk of piracy and invasion emphasized on coast guard activities. Last of all, as fisher community is so much assiduous, government should utilize their potential combining with alternative income generating profession which will improve their livelihoods and nation will be benefited.