Access to fisheries resources by the poor fishers for income generation and livelihood

Existing access mechanism to fisheries resources by the poor fishers including fishers socio-economic condition, fisheries resources management and conservation system and the coping strategies adopted by the poor fishers during lean and ban fishing period have been analyzed  based on secondary and primary data and recommended policy strategies for improving those issues in order to ensure food security and better livelihoods of the poor in the light of the National Food Policy of the Govt.
Fishers are mostly poor, landless, illiterate and the disorganized and are exploited by rich and power group. The study shows that 87% of fishers are poor with monthly income is less than Tk.5000/-. They depend on loan from money lender/NGO. About 40% fishers do not have fishing equipment. They work as labor fishers or on catch share basis in others boat
 
Revenue oriented fisheries management, fishers’ poverty, decline of fish population due to manmade and natural causes affect the fishers access to the resource, their income and livelihoods. Fishers access right to the fisheries is ensured in (i) the open access system in the flowing river, (ii) fishing right to the fishers directly through license, and (iii) community based fisheries management system. While fishers access to fisheries is affected in the revenue oriented leasing system of management.
During lean and ban fishing period the poor fishers suffer most as they do not have alternate option of work and as such most of them take loan from Mohajon/Aratdar, NGOs and relatives. However, some fishers work as day laborer and rickshaw pullers and also take less food. Fishers affected by 2-3 months fishing ban in 330 km stretches of the lower Meghna for protecting Jatka (Juvenile hilsa) get some compensation from Govt. but is quite insufficient.
 
The study recommends community based biological management of fisheries including licensing system to poor fishers instead of revenue oriented management, banning of only Jatka fishing gears instead of banning all fishing gears, increasing Govt. compensation to the fishers during fishing ban, arranging AIGA during lean and ban fishing period, introducing easy term institutional credit with low interest without collateral and strengthening institutional capacity of the Govt. agency responsible for proper management and conservation of fisheries resources.