Fishermen return to crab harvest in Sundarbans

Khulna Bureau :

After a long two-month ban, coastal fishermen are getting the opportunity to catch crabs again.
The Forest Department had banned crab fishing in the Sundarbans throughout January and February to protect the crab breeding season.

As the ban ended on Saturday, fishermen will be able to enter the Sundarbans again with permission from the Forest Department from March 1. According to the Forest Department, the total area of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh is 6,170 square kilometers. Of this, 1,874.1 square kilometers is watershed, which is 31.15 percent of the total area. This watershed is home to 210 species of white fish, 24 species of shrimp, and 14 species of crab. Since January and February are the main breeding season for crabs, crab fishing and fishermen’s entry into the forest area were temporarily banned for 59 days.

Conservator of Forests Imran Ahmed said that during this time, crabs lay eggs in rivers and canals and hatch from the eggs.

There is a risk of disturbing the natural balance if crabs are harvested during this sensitive breeding period. Therefore, this ban is implemented every year to protect the ecosystem.

Many coastal fishermen and their families are facing extreme hardship due to being unemployed for two months.

Some go elsewhere in search of work in search of livelihood, while many are forced to take loans at exorbitant interest rates. Now that the ban is over, life has returned to the fishermen’s villages. They are preparing to catch crabs with renewed enthusiasm by repairing boats and nets.

District Haripada of the Burigoalini area said that if the harvest is good this time, they will be able to recover their previous losses and turn around.