The small canals and streams near Cox’s Bazar, home to the world’s longest sea beach, have become new sources of livelihood for local youth. With the regular movement of tides, shrimps and large crabs enter these canals, creating opportunities for young people like Aman Ullah, a resident of Amtolla Chhara in Ukhiya, to earn a living.
Aman Ullah’s work begins before sunset each day as he sets traps in the canals. “The tide starts rising in the evening, so we need to place the traps before that,” he explained. “We use small pieces of chicken meat as bait inside the traps. As the water rises, shrimps and crabs get caught inside.”
He further shared, “Every evening, I set these traps underwater and return at midnight to collect them. On some nights, I manage to catch around 5 to 6 kilograms of shrimp and crabs, which sell for Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,500 in the market.”
Scenes like these have become common around Amtolla Chhara in Ukhiya, where several local youths have joined this practice to catch shrimp and crabs using similar methods. For many students and unemployed young people, this has become a temporary but vital source of income.
Locals believe that if the administration and the fisheries department provide the necessary support and training, such initiatives could evolve into a significant alternative livelihood for the region’s youth.
By Abdur Rashid Manik
Photo: Hussain Shetu
