Fish traps lifeline for haor people

After the devastating April floods caused the extensive destruction of rice crops across the Sunamganj haor-lands, many village families were left without a livelihood. Now, the innovative residents of five villages of the Khorchar and Angaruli haors in Bishwamvarpur upazila have found an alternative means of survival. They are making fishing equipment and fish traps.

Four kilometres by boat from the upazila town is Brojonathpur village. Where the boat stops is a small shop, in front of which sits Fulmoti Biswas busy with bamboo and plastic yarn, making a fish trap designed to catch small fish like tengra, and also shrimp. “I am not alone,” she says when asked what she is doing. “All the villagers are making traps like these. It's a matter of life and death. If we didn't we could hardly afford food.”

“I've never seen a crisis like now,” adds a neighbour, Bimala Biswas. “If we didn't know how to make the traps there would be no way to survive.”

In Brojonathpur alone up to 200 families are now reliant on selling the variety of traps, locally known as 'chai', 'gui' and 'runga.' Not everybody is new to the activity. Subol Biswas has been making traps for three decades. “I can earn up to Tk 500 per day selling the traps I make,” he says. “It's an income that supports our eight-member family.”

His neighbour Narendra Biswas also has a history of fish trap manufacture. But like many in the village what used to be a sideline has become a main income source, he says.

“We use bamboo and plastic string,” says another trap-maker, Sufia Khatun. “Our traps are sold across the country, including in other areas that are flooded like ours. Each trap attracts a wholesale rate of anything from Tk 60 to Tk 300 depending on its design and quality.”

Meanwhile in adjacent Laxmipur village the house of Birendra Biswas is a hive of similar activity. His wife, daughter-in-law and son are among the eight individuals making traps. “I'm actually a farmer,” Birendra explains. “I have five acres of land but the floods ruined my crop. We survive by selling the traps now.”

“I'm really glad I learnt how to make fish traps from my father and my grandfather,” says Mizan Mia, 45, from another fish-trap making village, Gopalpur. “My five sons and my young daughter also make traps; and the income we get is sufficient for our family to lead a happy life.”

Others like Razzak Mia who didn't make the traps before have been keen to acquire the skill. “I went to my in-law's house in Rajnagar to learn how to make the traps,” he says. “Earlier I was a farmer. Now I employ labourers to make even more traps.”

“In many areas affected by April's floods people are leaving,” says the chairman of Bishwamvarpur Upazila Parishad, Md Harun-ur-Rashid, “They are looking for work. But we have these five villages where fish trap making is flourishing. In those villages people stay home. And because they have this cottage industry, unlike many others they are not reliant on public relief.”

According to the district administration the April floods destroyed around 1.67 lakh hectares of Boro paddy across Sunamganj district, affecting around 325,000 farmers.