S. S. MARINE1*, T. DEY2, A. RASHID3, P. P. BARMAN4 and M. A. ISLAM5
1=Sabiha Sultana Marine, Lecturer, Department of Fisheries Technology and Quality Control, Faculty of Fisheries, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, 2Tanwi Dey, Lecturer, Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, 3Aminur Rashid, Lecturer, Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, 4Partho Protim Barman, Lecturer, Department of Coastal and Marine Fisheries, Faculty of Fisheries, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet and 5Mohammed Ariful Islam, Lecturer, Department of Aquatic Resource Management, Faculty of Fisheries, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh. *Corresponding author’s Email: marine.sau.033@gmail.com.
ABSTRACT
The study was conducted at the Department of Fisheries Technology and Quality Control, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh during April to July 2014 among the fishermen of Suma River in Sylhet district of Bangladesh. A total of 30 fishermen were interviewed by a semi-structured questionnaire and the respondents were selected randomly from the study area. The fishermen were asked about some important socio-economic informations e.g. age, family type and size, religion, marital status, education levels, income, food and nutrition intake etc. Most of the fishermen in the study area were belonging to 21-40 years old and nuclear families were very popular as majority of people (about 60%) were found in this type of family. About 40% of the respondents have 7-8 members in a family and only 4% have more than 12 members in a family. Most of the people were found Muslim by religion (80%) and they were involved in this occupation from generation to generation. Their educational qualification were not satisfactory and maximum of them were illiterate (70%). They have low income and deprived from many amenities of life. About 60% of them were found to live in earthen house and no one have fully concrete house. Fifty percent (50%) of them had to dependent on village doctors for physical treatment. Their prime occupation is fishing but in off- season they involved themselves in agriculture (70%), business (15%) or other income generating activities. Only 4% of the respondents have concrete made hygienic toilet facilities and all of the respondents were found to drink safe tube-well water. About 60% fishermen have electricity facilities. Most of the fishermen found fish as the principal food item (65%). Their annual income varied from Tk. 25000 to Tk. 65000 and half of the respondents were found in the low income range as Tk. 25000 to Tk. 35000 per year basis. The study revealed that livelihood of rural fishermen was traditional and unsatisfactory. To improve this situation, provision of sufficient training programs, educational and financial facilities is necessary. Government and non-government organizations can come forward to overcome this situation and should develop such techniques or alternatives that could be helpful for the poor fishermen to hold present profession of fishing in the Surma River and its propinquity.
Keywords: Fishermen, Socio-economic, Livelihood and Fishing community.
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