The fishers who harvest the country’s vast blue waters and rivers – keeping the wheels of the national economy turning – continue to live in uncertainty and deprivation. While workers’ rights in factories dominate discussions around International Workers’ Day, coastal fishers battling rough seas remain largely overlooked.
Although the fisheries sector contributes 2.53 per cent to GDP and around 22.26 per cent to agricultural GDP, those at the heart of the sector have yet to receive formal recognition as workers.
Recent statistics show that Bangladesh produces over 5 million tonnes of fish annually. Of this, around 700,000 to 730,000 tonnes come from the Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar coasts, accounting for 14–17 per cent of total production.
Beyond meeting domestic demand, fish and fish products generated about Tk 5,145 crore in export earnings in FY 2024–25. Fishers supply nearly 60 per cent of the country’s animal protein intake.
Professor Manjurul Kibria of the Department of Zoology at the University of Chattogram said small-scale “artisanal fisheries” contribute more to marine fishing than large corporate trawlers. Inland fisheries, he added, are entirely dependent on local fishers.
A conversation with Mohammad Nurul Alam, 45, a fisher from Anwara coast in Chattogram, reveals a grim reality. “We risk our lives at sea to catch fish, but if we die in disasters, no one stands by our families,” he said. Stories from fishers like Abdul Karim of Banshkhali and Saiful Islam of Patenga echo similar hardships.
According to the Department of Fisheries, more than 1,350 fishers die at sea each year in Bangladesh. Frequent storms in the Bay of Bengal, nor’westers, pirate attacks, and inadequate safety equipment leave many missing – often without their bodies ever being recovered.
Agricultural expert Salma Begum said fishers who die in natural disasters receive only about Tk 50,000 in compensation.
Reports indicate that more than 500,000 fishers directly depend on coastal fishing for their livelihoods, while thousands of families in the Chattogram region rely entirely on fishing and dry fish processing.
Research shows that in the Kattoli coastal area of Chattogram, a fisher catches an average of 6.19 kg of fish per day, with a boat earning around Tk 28,000 per month. However, much of this income goes to middlemen and moneylenders, trapping fishers in cycles of debt.
Professor Manjurul Kibria expressed concern that while the government promotes alternative livelihoods during fishing bans, shifting fishers into other professions like rickshaw driving or farming may be counterproductive.
“Water, nets, and fishers form an interconnected triangle – one cannot be sustained without the others,” he said.
Removing fishers from their traditional occupation risks harming both marine and inland fish resources while pushing fish beyond the reach of ordinary consumers. Even along the Halda River, around 450 to 500 fishing families who have survived for generations are now struggling to sustain themselves.
While slogans for workers’ rights echo worldwide on May Day, the reality for Bangladesh’s coastal fishers remains starkly different. A lack of modern communication tools, life jackets, and adequate safety measures continues to put them at risk at sea, alongside the persistent threat of piracy.
Experts say stronger government support, easier access to credit, and improved disaster response systems are essential to protect a sector that supports the livelihoods of over 20 million people.
Without recognising these contributors to the national economy as workers and ensuring their social protection, achieving the country’s food security and blue economy goals may become increasingly difficult. Ensuring a safe and dignified life for these frontline workers should be a priority this May Day.
