Hilsa fish (Tenualosa ilisha) have become an essential factor behind the well-being of the fishing community, giving fishers their identity as a source of cultural heritage. A field survey was conducted to understand the socio-economic conditions of hilsa fishers at the Meghna river estuary of Chandpur District using well-structured questionnaire interviews (N = 250) with hilsa fishers. The survey revealed that fishers’ livelihoods and living conditions were still below average due to low literacy levels, lack of professional skills, and low incomes. More than two-thirds of the fishers were entirely dependent on hilsa fishing, while more than one-third had between 11 and 20 years of fishing experience. More than two-thirds of the fishers did not have an alternative occupation during ban periods, and the incentives provided by the government were not adequately received by half of the fishers. Fishers were divided into three groups according to their dependence on hilsa fishing. Significant differences were found between these groups in terms of the age of fishers, annual income from fishing, and annual fishing activity days. Therefore, the government, Fisheries cooperatives, NGOs, and other relevant organizations must unite to support fishers for sustainable hilsa fishery management.
The south-east coast, specifically the Cox’s Bazar region, of Bangladesh has achieved a tremendous impetus for producing a large volume of dried fish by involving thousands of marginalized coastal people. This study aimed to assess the socio-economic profile, livelihood strategies, and resilience of the communities engaged in fish drying on the south-east coast using a mixed-methods approach and an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The study’s findings revealed that communities involved in drying were socio-economically undeveloped due to their lower literacy, unstable incomes, and labor-intensive occupations. Apart from notable child labor employed in fish drying in Nazirertek, female workers had relatively higher participation than males. Nevertheless, the female workers had less control over their daily wages and reported working at USD 3.54–5.89 per day, which was relatively lower than male workers who received USD 4.15–8.31 per day. Through fish drying activities, very few workers, producers, and traders were found to be self-reliant. In contrast, the livelihoods of the workers were not as secure as the processors and traders. In addition to suffering from various shocks and constraints, dried fish processors and workers, dried fish traders, off-season income, an abundance of fish species, fish drying facilities, trader’s association, and social interrelationship played a significant role in maintaining community resilience. The study recommends appropriate interventions to alternative income diversification options, strong collaboration between communities, local authorities, and government for sustainable livelihoods and better community resilience.
The ship-breaking industry has become a promising sector in Bangladesh by contributing to the country’s primary steel demand as raw material for re-rolling mills, providing livelihood opportunities for the poor. This paper investigates the livelihood index and health hazards of workers engaged in ship-breaking activities at the Bhatiari coast of Chattogram, Bangladesh. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through participatory rural assessment (PRA) tools that included 128 individual interviews (II), ten focus group discussions (FGDs), and 15 key informant interviews (KIIs). The workers’ livelihoods revealed that workers lack basic facilities and are exposed to occupational health hazards due to working in a risky environment. Workers of different origins claimed to have 1 to 6 years of work experience and worked 11 to 12 h a day. More than 60% of workers reported being injured or suffering from various physical problems such as blurred vision, abdominal pain, and skin problems. Labor-intensive and unstable occupations, limited access to medical services, poor housing and sanitation, and lack of basic safety requirements increase workers’ plight. Therefore, the study offers advanced protective equipment, better medical facilities, and a safe workplace to improve the workers’ livelihoods.
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