Dry fish season ends Record revenue earned

Bagerhat Correspondent :

Collection of dry fish season at Dubla Dry fish village ended. After catching fish from the Bay of Bengal and draying them (fish) in the sunlight at Dubla for long 5 months from October to March 31 most of the fishermen and fish traders already left the islands for their respective homes incurring a loss. On the other hand, Sundarbans department earned recorded money as revenue from this sector.
Kazi Muammad Nurul Karim, DFO (Divisional Forest Officer), of the Eastern Division of Sundarbans (in Bagerhat district) told, the Eastern Division (of Sundarbans) will be able to earn revenue from Dubla dry fish village more than the target fixed by the forest department by 30th June.
The DFO added, the forest department fixed the target of revenue from this sector at Tk,7 crors during the financial year of 2023-2024 and by this time a sum of Tk.6 crors 39 lakh 95 thousand 2 hundred 79 till 31st March, 2024 was already earned. The DFO further added, by the 30th June the target of revenue will be fulfilled. In the last financial year of 2022-2023, a sum of Tk.6 crores 73 lakh 20 thousand 6 hundred was earned.
Motasim Faraji, President of Rampal (in Bagerhat district) Fishermen Association, fisherman Eunus Fakir of Majherkella hails from Sharankhola, Taher Ali, fisherman of Alorkol hails from Rampal, fisherman Hemayet Hossain of Narikelbaria and Pangkaj Chandra hails from Dumuria in Khula district told, this year a number of fishermen and fish traders earned profit. But most of the fishermen and fish traders returned their respective homes without any profit and many of them incurred a loss.
Forest Ranger Md. Khalilur Rahman, Officer-in-charge of the whole Dubla Fisherman village Patrol Outpost told, the dry fish collection season was already ended on March 31. But the concerned forest authorizes of Sundarbans extended the season till April 7, 2024 under special consideration though by this time a good number of fishermen already left the Dubla fishermen village.
He added, the collection of revenue is satisfactory and it is expected that the target of revenue fixed by the forest department will be exceeded by 30th June, 2024.
It is learnt from the forest department sources that every year the fish dry season starts at Dubla Fisherman Village which consists of Alorkol, Majherkella, Shyalarchar and Narikelbaria islands in the Bay of Bengal, adjacent to Shndarbans in the first week of the month of October and ends on March 31. During the period the fishermen catch fish from the sea and dry them (fish) there. In this season some 10 thousand fishermen and fish traders assembled there.
Forester Dilip Majumdar, Officer-in-charge of Alorkol Forest Outpost under Dubla Fisherman Village told, like the past this year also fishermen and fish traders assembled here (Dubla Fisherman village) for long 5 months (from October to March 31) in order to catch fish from the sea and dry the same in the sunlight) was already ended and most of them (fishermen and fish traders) left Dubla fisherman village for their respective homes. And those who are still staying here are allowed to stay here till on April 7, 2024 under special consideration of the forest department.
Freedom Fighter Md. Kamal Uddin Ahmed and President of Dubla Fishermen Group told, this year most of the fishermen and fish traders of Dubla Dry Fish village returned to their respective homes being over headed and ears in debt. According to him, the reasons are: (1) due to the natural calamities the fishermen could not catch fish according to their expectations from the sea and on the other hand, (2) Sundarbans Forest department enhanced the revenue double. Md. Kamal Ahmed added, as a result, the forest department earned record revenue. He made an appeal to the concerned authorities to consider the matter for the next dry fish season.