A fish landing station in the Mahipur area under the Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali remains unused although two years have passed since the facility was built at a cost of Tk 13 crore. Having taken up the initiative in 2012, the Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BDFC) established two fish landing sites in Patuakhali so that catches in the seaside region could be harvested, processed, preserved and marketed in a healthy manner.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister SH Rezaul Karim inaugurated both sites on September 20, 2021. But although the site in Alipur on the south bank of the Shibbaria river is now bustling with activity, the one on the north bank in Mahipur lies lifeless. This is mainly due to poor coordination between local fishers, traders and the BDFC.
It turns out the Mahipur fish landing station has the capacity to house just 45 traders at a time although there are 82 listed in the area. More importantly, the pontoons at the site can accommodate just 20 trawlers despite the 82 registered traders owning more than 2,000 trawlers collectively.
Apart from those issues, there are a further 200 wholesalers and 800 workers who also need a space to work. Consequently, fishers in Mahipur do not want to carry out commercial activities at the site. Local traders and officials said that the government was losing out on revenue of at least Tk 5 crore each year due to the facility being inactive.
The project had faced difficulties from the onset, with land acquisition taking four years. The BDFC finally broke ground on the Mahipur fish landing station in 2016, constructing a platform and gangway to unload fish from trawlers. Additionally, an auction area, packaging site, storage room, ice mill, generator room, office buildings, sewage facilities and a 7,000-square foot truck stand were set up.
“The government constructed the fish landing station for the convenience of traders but the facility remains of no use as it was not built according to plan,” said Monir Hossain, a fish trader in Mahipur. He explained that traders and fishers like him were part of a local community that refused to use the fish landing station unless sufficient space was ensured for all. “I will not go there even if I have to leave the business,” Hossain exclaimed.
Raju Ahmed Raja, general secretary of the Mahipur Fishery Owners Association, said issues surrounding the lack of space could have been avoided had the BDFC consulted them before building the site. “If they increase the space, then we will all go,” Raja added.
Patuakhali District Fisheries Officer Kamrul Islam echoed those sentiments, saying BDFC officials should have sought their opinion before constructing the station. “In order to make it operational, the scale of the fish landing station should be increased so that all traders can be accommodated,” he added.
Shakil Ahmed, manager of the Mahipur fish landing station, said there were fewer traders and fishers when a feasibility study was conducted in 2009. “How to expand its scope is now under consideration. The chairman of BFDC will come here very soon and take necessary steps after discussing with the stakeholders,” he added.