INTEGRATED PROTECTED AREA CO-MANAGEMENT (IPAC) - BIDS

Like in other harvests, some of the intermediaries such as Majhis/Farias also carry out the
collection, some of the Mahajans, Aratdars or even wholesalers often get involved in the
collection process. Our survey shows that on an average one boat with more or less 4-6
collectors catch around 3-4 maunds of fish in one trip.
Normally, Majhi has a special role in the whole trip. Sometimes, Majhi has no special role.
Fishers sell their catch to Aratdars/wholesalers as contractual obligation. The general practice is
that all sorts of costs (including costs of fuel of those which are run by engines, food and net
repairing) borne by owners during the trip are deducted from total earnings. In some cases, the
sharing of profit applies. In some cases, collectors work on wages.
Average cost of food for the fishermen in each trip is around Tk 5-10 thousand. The owners of
nets/boats have the risk of losing their whole investment due to cyclone or robbery.
A specific group of people having good amount of cash act as financier or Mahajans/money
lenders. They lend money to actors such as Aratdars, net/boat owners/ice depot owners at certain
interest rates (usually as high as 10% monthly). However, they have risks of loan default in case
of accident, cyclone, bad harvest or theft where fishers may delay payment or pay lower interest.
There are also Aratdars who own net and boat and this enhances their profitability. However,
there is a risk involved in the business of Aratdars as they sell fish to Paikars on credit. At times,
Paikars do not pay their dues and stop business with the Arat and start business with new
Aratdars.
Hilsha
Normally hilsha fishing takes place on a weekly basis. Like in other fish products, for hilsha as
well, there are two goons (peak) – bhara goons and mara goons in a month, each lasting 4 to 5
days. The remaining days are lean time for hilsha fishing. One boat consisting of 4 to 8 people
travels twice a month.
Like in other harvests, some of the intermediaries in this sector as well are themselves involved
with the collection related activities. As in other cases, some of the Majhis/Farias are also
collectors, some of the Mahajans, Aratdars or even wholesalers often get involved in the
collection process. This poses problem in calculation of costs and returns for individual actors
separately. Our survey shows that on an average one boat with more or less 4-8 collectors catch
around 20-30 maunds of hilsha fish in one trip.
Most fishermen get engaged in hilsha fishing on the basis of sharing of harvest among fishers
(fishing laborers) and the capital providers (net/boat owners). Normally, group leaders (Majhi)
receive twice the amount of each fisher. The general practice is that the fishers cannot sell their
catch in markets other than the specified markets/Aratdars/wholesalers at a lower than market
price because of contractual obligations. Generally, the fishers (laborers) receive advance money
(dadons) in the lean season from net/boat owners on condition that they would work for the
whole season for the owners. In the fishing grounds, they work under a boatman/captain (Majhi)
who is responsible for the whole trip.
The general practice is that all sorts of costs for the trip are borne by owners which deducted
from total earnings and a share of 10/16 (i.e. 62.5%) is retained by capital providers. The
remaining earnings are distributed among fishing laborers with double share to Majhi (almost
similar arrangement was observed by a study by Ali et al 2009).
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