Persistent rain and rough seas in the Bay of Bengal have severely disrupted fishing operations off the Cox’s Bazar coast, forcing many fishermen to abandon their trips and return to shore with little or no catch.
Most fishing trawlers have already returned to the Cox’s Bazar Fish Landing Centre, Fishery Ghat, while many of those that ventured into deep waters were compelled to head back midway because of high waves and unsafe sea conditions.
Fishermen said the unusually rough sea over the past few days had made normal fishing operations impossible, resulting in poor catches of hilsa and other marine fish. They warned that the situation was not only causing financial losses but could also reduce the supply of marine fish in local markets.
‘We go to sea to earn a living, but the Bay has been so rough that it is impossible to stay out for long,’ said fisherman Kader. ‘The high waves pose a serious risk to our lives, forcing us to return without catching fish. We are suffering losses every day.’
Another fisherman, Mohammad Hanif, said the monsoon was usually a productive season for hilsa and other marine species.
‘Because of the bad weather, fish are scarce, and we cannot even recover our fuel and labour costs,’ he said.
Fish traders at the Cox’s Bazar Fish Landing Centre said fewer trawlers were returning and those that did had significantly smaller catches than usual. As a result, the supply of marine fish has declined, and the prices of some species have started to rise.
The Cox’s Bazar Meteorological Office has forecast continued rainfall in the district over the coming days and warned that the Bay of Bengal is likely to remain rough. Fishing trawlers and other vessels operating in deep waters have been advised to exercise maximum caution.
Fishermen said prolonged adverse weather would deepen their financial hardship and could lead to a wider shortage of marine fish in local markets if conditions failed to improve soon.
By Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Mohammad Morshed
