Year after year, thousands of fishermen and their hired workforce flock to this vibrant locale, driven by the mission to catch and process an array of seafish.

This season, the forest department has granted permission for the setup of 108 temporary houses and 78 depots, catering to the accommodation needs of fishermen and facilitating the preservation of dried fish. The Sundarbans will witness the deployment of 1500 trawlers, capturing and processing fish to be sun-dried.

Dublar Char is already bustling with activity as permits for fish harvesting have been issued. In the previous year, the government reaped BDT 60 million (US $545 thousand) in revenue from this bustling village. This year, an ambitious target of BDT 70 million (US $636 thousand) has been set.

Various fish species, including Loitta (Bombay duck), Faissa (mullet), Koral (Asian Sea Bass / Barramundi), Pomfret, Chhuri (Ribbonfish), Tuna and more, undergo processing at Dublar Char. The demand for dried fish from this region is particularly high, given the chemical preservative and pesticide free processing methods employed.

Rabiul Islam, a fisherman from Rampal Upazila, shares his experience of a busy day spent crafting makeshift houses with bamboo, polythene, and hogla (long dry grass used for sheds) upon arriving at Dublar Char.

Shahid Mallik, president of Matsyajibi Samity (a fishermen association), notes the influx of thousands of fishermen, some already present in the area while others venture into the sea for fishing expeditions.

Dilip Majumdar, the officer-in-charge of Alorkol camp, describes the industrious scene of fishermen constructing temporary shelters, a process taking two to three days for completion. Simultaneously, some fishermen engage in processing their catch under the open sky.

Rana Deb, assistant forest conservator of Sundarbans East zone, outlines that the dried fish processing season commenced on November 3 and will persist until March 31 next year. During this period, fishermen will reside in Alorkol, Majherkella, Narikelbaria, and Shelar Char for five months.

Sheikh Mahbub Hasan, assistant conservator of the Sundarbans Forests under Sharankhola Range, emphasizes the need for vigilance, ensuring that no one, masquerading as fishermen, commits crimes on Dublar Char. As the vibrant season unfolds, Dublar Char stands as a dynamic hub, embodying the rich tradition of dried fish processing and coastal camaraderie.

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Economical value of dry fish:

Because of its excellent nutritional value, wonderful taste, scent, and distinct flavor, dry fish (locally known as Shutki) is a popular and traditional food item among Bangladeshi. On the supply side, dried fish industry gives livelihood, money, and job to millions of people. Small- and large-scale fishers and processors, as well as dealers at various scales ranging from huge urban wholesalers to small urban and rural stores, are all involved. Women predominate in the fish-drying sector in many places, especially South Asia, where women’s labor outside the home has traditionally been severely restricted. Every year, a substantial volume of freshwater and marine capture fisheries is processed into dried, salted, and fermented fish products. These products are in high demand in the foreign market as well as the domestic market, which helps to generate foreign cash.

Nutritional value of dried fish:

In general, dry fish is a delicious and healthful diet that is high in protein and low in calories when compared to other animal protein sources such as beef. Dry fish contains high-quality proteins, healthful fatty acids, including long-chain omega-3 fatty acids like eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and is a unique supply of critical elements including iodine, zinc, copper, selenium, and calcium.

Basic concept of fish drying:

Drying preserves food by lowering the moisture content to a point where microbes and most intrinsic enzymes become inactive. Conventional commercial dry fish has a moisture content of 18-25%, any value less than this value indicates a higher quality of dry fish.

Because the moisture content and water activity are reduced after drying, germs cannot multiply and grow to ruin the fish. This will aid in the long-term preservation of the fish. Lowering water activity has an effect on the chemical and enzymatic changes in food. When water activity falls below 0.6, microbiological development is much halted.

What are the preservatives used in dried fish?

Dry fish retains more protein than raw fish. After preparing dried fish with organic preservatives such as Neem leaf powder and Paprika, they can be utilized to reduce pest and fungus infestations. These organic preservatives are safe for human consumption.

How long can dry fish be stored?

Properly treated and preserved fish can last 6 to 12 months without spoiling! That’s a lot of time, and it’s a terrific way to preserve food for a hike, camping, as a snack on the route, or simply to eat at home if you prefer the flavor.

Bangladesh’s dried fish sector has traditionally played an important role in food, nutrition, job creation, and the economy. If dry fish producers give extra care to produce safe and hygienic dry fish, then this industry can contribute in the improvement of national economy.

Farhana Islam
Agriculturist, Researcher
Fisheries Resource Management, CVASU

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According to the stakeholders, people in Chattogram, Feni, Comilla, Brahamanbaria, Dhaka, Sylhet, Kishorganj, Sayedpur, Rangpur and Munshiganj districts are the main consumers of dry fish in the country. Khulna and Rajshahi have less consumers of dry fish.

Asadganj in Chittagong, country’s largest wholesale market. There are 50 warehouses, 250 wholesale merchants, 50 retails merchants and 10 exporters. In total, 3,000 permanent people are constantly engaged in the trade of dry fish here.

A businessman from Asadganj, Dipul Kanti said, “dry fish consumption is getting popular among locals and its even now popular in the Europe, US and across the Middle East.”

He also added, fishermen these days do not use any harmful  chemicals as preservatives because the number of cold storage have increased. So, dry fish makers are getting fresh fish for them.

The Department of Fisheries in Cox’s Bazar says it has adopted new and hygienic methods of drying and preserving fish, thereby contributing to its growing popularity in local and abroad.

Cox’s Bazar district fisheries officer said,  “If fishermen preserve dry fish by adopting the new methods and without using harmful chemicals, the taste of fish would remain intact. This is making dry fish more popular among all classes of people”.

“After removing fish intestines, fishermen are now mixing turmeric and pepper. It is very organic, hygienic and keeps the quality of dry fish unchanged. Moreover, these natural preservatives keep insects away. We keep a close eye on the whole process to ensure that no harmful chemical is added,” he said.

According to the Asadgonj Dry Fish Merchant Association (ADFMA), local production is unable to meet the growing domestic and international demand for dry fish. To fill the gap, dry fish is being imported from India, Myanmar and Pakistan. About 60% of the demand is being fulfilled from imports, while only 40% is met by local production.

There are 30 to 35 varieties of dried fish in the market. The most popular are Chinese pomfret (Rupchanda), Indian salmon (Lakkha), Ribbon fish (Chhuri), Bombay duck (Loitta) and shrimp. At the same time, to meet the local demand, Bangladesh has to import Ribbon fish, Bombay duck, Pabda, and Corica (Kachki) from India; Chinese pomfret and ribbon fish from Pakistan; and Corica and Ribbon fish from Myanmar. Of the imported dried fish, which accounts for 60% of the supplies, 70% comes from India, while 30 per cent is from Pakistan and Myanmar.

Now, the best quality dried fish are being exported to the UK, the US, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE because of its high demand among Bangladeshi expatriates in those countries. For exporting dry fish, about 100 large and small dry fish export processing units have been set up in fish-processing areas, particularly the coastal areas and islands like Rangabali, Sonadia, Kutubdia, Talpatti, St Martin’s, Teknaf, Banshkhali, Anwara, Moheshkhali and Cox’s Bazar.

$7 million worth of dry fish has been exported in the fiscal year of 2021-2022.

EPB (Export Promotion Bureau)

Businessmen, however, expressed their concern over the future prospect of the dry fish business. The county’s dry fish production is falling and fishermen are changing their profession due to the long ban on fishing imposed to help proper spawning.

“The government said this ban was for spawning. But fishermen led a miserable hand-to-mouth existence during that period,” said Jamal Hossain, a dry fish sector stakeholder.

“Pollution and climate change are contaminating the sea water. Consequently, the
production of fish is falling,” he added.

He also said that foreign vessels discharged wastes at sea within Bangladesh territory owing to lax vigilance. Moreover, fishing trawlers of neighboring countries enter Bangladesh’s territorial waters to catch fish, he noted.

“Fish production would increase if the government prevented these two things and there
would be no need to import. Moreover, we will be able to export more dry fish,” he said.

He also blamed the process of catching shrimp fries for the destruction of thousands of fish. He said that in order to collect shrimp fries, the collectors are killing million fries of different species. This practice should be banned in the coastal areas.

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