Barishal fish landing centre losing steam

The fish landing centre in Barishal has been lying abandoned for long as local fish traders continue to use an illegal market for years.

The centre now earns only Tk 96,000 a month from rent of some of its rooms, against its Tk1.5 crore year-on-year income from fish trading earlier.

Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) established the centre at a cost of Tk2 crore on 1.23 acres of land in 1985 on the bank of Kirtonkhola.

Fish wholesalers, allegedly backed by local politicians, left the centre to continue trade in illegally established market on the Port Road in the city where they openly trade undersize fish which were netted using illegal current nets. As a result, the fish landing centre lies abandoned.

The centre has a record of collecting Tk 2 crore as revenue from the fish merchants in 25 months in FY2007-08, sources at the BFDC claimed.

The fish landing centre was constructed with the financial and technical support and assistance from DANIDA.

The centre has modern facilities including ice factory, cold storage, water supply, healthy fish packaging, 32 stalls for fish traders, 14,000 square feet space for fish landing and exporting shed, truck parking yard, pontoons and jetty for anchoring and unloading 50 fishing trawlers at a time.

During the military-backed caretaker government in 2007, fish traders were evicted from their illegally occupied BIWTA lands and forced to use the BFDC fish landing centre for their business. They were forced to do their business at the centre for two years.

At the time, the centre earned about Tk3.25 crore as revenue from fish traders, with a net profit of Tk1.61 crore. The government spent total Tk57 lakh to develop different types of facilities and infrastructures at the centre.

During the period, 20,000 tonnes of fish, including 12,000 tonnes of hilsa, were unloaded in the centre and the government collected tax amounting to one per cent of the income from fish trading.

After return of the political government to power, the fish traders again started their activities taking patronisation from the ruling party leaders to leave the BFDC fish landing centre and return to their previous illegally occupied government land.

The traders, instigated by ice factory of the adjacent areas, have been illegally occupying lands of BIWTA at Port Road in the city to continue their business there without paying tax to the government.

According to the Marine Fisheries Ordinance of 1983 and 1993, fishing boats are bound to use the fish landing centre and fish merchants only could run their business there, said BFDC officials at the centre.

Nirab Hossain Tutul, president of Barishal’s Matso Arotdar Samity, a platform of fish wholesalers, said the fish trades left the Fish landing centre due to lack of facilities.

There are no arrangements of car parking, banking service, workshop and adequate place, he added.

Md Lutfar Rahman, additional manager of the fish landing centre, said, “We have requested the ministry of concern to reopen the centre. But, they have not taken any steps yet.”

When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Jashim Uddin Haider said the fish traders will do business where they get opportunity. They should not be forced.”

“If the BFDC can provide opportunity for them, I think they should return, “he added.