The Department of Fisheries of Bangladesh has proposed a Tk 47.55 crore. This Mega project is to revive 29 baors or oxbow lakes at Jashore, Jhenaidah, Chuadanga and Kushtia.
This will be a five-year plan a Community-Based Fisheries Resource Management in Baor Areas. The aim is to increase fish production by at least 10 percent and improve the life of marginal fishers.
Why the Baors Require Assistance
Baors are crescent-shaped lakes abandoned by rivers changing their courses. In the southwest they provide breeding grounds for native fish. Over the years, many have silted up, so they hold less water in the dry season and fish habitats have been damaged.
How the Project Help Marginal Fishermans
Silted sections will be dredged to restore depth. Excavation forms the lion’s share of the budget at Tk 11.22 crore. A sum of Tk 2.32 crore is allocated for sanctuaries in all 29 baors to save native species and help them reproduce. The plan also includes renovation of 35 fingerling ponds, 290 beel nurseries, fry release and training for around 3,875 fishers.
The Promise of Livelihoods of Bangladeshi Fishermans
When it works, fishers make more money and others find work in nurseries, pond maintenance, monitoring, transportation and fish marketing. Deeper baors also hold water longer during the dry season. Some 5,325 people could directly benefit, officials say, putting the commercial value of the extra output at close to Tk 1,000 crore. But that is a projection, not a promise.
Possible Pitfalls of this Mega Project
Money and digging aren’t going to do it. Poor fishermans have been left out in the past due to unclear selection of beneficiaries, and if the gains are captured by influential locals, the community-based tag will be of little significance.
Sanctuaries only work if destructive fishing gear is excluded, and careless dredging can damage banks and water quality. Also, a five-year project can only temporarily increase output without continued stocking and local ownership.
The proposal has not been approved yet. It is pending review by the Planning Commission, and officials say the numbers may change.
The plan is a bundling of habitat repair, stocking and community-based management. An openly and fairly run scheme could provide rural families with steady fish and income. Treat it like a digging exercise, and the gains could evaporate once the cash is gone.
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