Joynal Abedin Siam:

There is a fish crisis in Chalan Beel, the largest freshwater wetland in Bangladesh. This has put the drying industry under threat. Due to the lack of fishes, dried fish production is being disrupted in vast areas of Chalan Beel region covering Sirajganj, Pabna and Natore districts.

As a result, workers, who used to run their livelihoods by working in dried fish producing Chatals (paveyard) in this region are becoming unemployed.

Chalan Beel is located in an area of about 120 square kilometers, consisting of 22 water bodies and 16 rivers. A large number of men and women are employed in the dried fish producing villages that have developed in nine upazilas of three districts around this Chalan Beel. Hundreds of men and women used to work like salting, drying, turning and sorting fishes in such Chatals from dawn to dusk.

These dried fish Chatals are used to dry local species of fishes such as Rui, Katla, Magur, Shing, Koi, Pabda, Puti, Chital, Baghair, Boal, Gajar, and Tengra.

The dried fish here meet the needs of various parts of the country, including the capital Dhaka, Saidpur, Nilphamari and others. Last year, about 800 tonnes of dried fish were produced in Chalan Beel. This year, the target has been set at 1,000 tonnes.

Bakul Hossain, a Chatal owner in Tarash of Sirajganj, complained that, the fish fry are being killed randomly with nets in Chalan Beel, fueled by influential people.

In addition, the free movement of fishes is being hindered by digging additional ponds across Chalan Beel. The fishes in the Beel are also decreasing day by day due to fishing with water irrigation during the drought season. Although the cost increases, the Chatal traders are incurring losses as production decreases.

Abu Bakkar and Abdul Mazid, of Ghargram in Tarash Upazila said that, “The fish collection season is set from September to December. But this year, fishes are not available like before.”

Due to the shortage of fishes, we are afraid that the production will be much less.

Dried fish trader Sadequl Islam said, “There were about 30 dried fish Chatals around Mahishluti market in Tarash. This year, dried fish is being prepared in only a few Chatals. Many have closed their businesses due to lack of fishes.”

Dried fish trader Minhaj Uddin said, “There is a demand of 300 maunds of fishes per day in a dried fish Chatal. But no more than 30-50 maunds of fishes are available in the local market and fish shops. Due to this, dried fish production is being severely hampered.”

Abdur Rahim, a fish trader of Mohisluti fish market said, “Many Chatals have already closed due to the fish shortage. The rest are also on the verge of closing. In this situation, about five hundred male and female workers involved in the Chatal work have become unemployed.”

Chatal worker Rozina and Delshad Hossain said that, “A female worker earns Tk150 and man Tk 300 daily by working in Chatal. However, due to the fish shortage, many have not found work.”

Tarash Upazila Fisheries Officer Mokaram Hossain said that, “The dried fish of Chalan Beel is famous in the country and abroad. However, due to the killing of mother fishes, use of pesticides and destruction of breeding grounds, the fish production in this Beel is decreasing every year. This year, the crisis has deepened due to the inflow of water in several phases and its rapid drying. Last year, 143 tonnes of dried fish were produced in this upazila. But due to the fish shortage, it is estimated that this year the production will be 30 to 40 tonnes less.”

When the fishery officer was asked about the official steps to prevent killing of mother fishes and fries, he did not reply. Even, he could not reply about the government allocation for protecting the fishes in Chalan Beel.