Climate change threatening captured fishing in Bangladesh

The coastal zone of Bangladesh covers an area of 47,201 sq. km (32%) of the country. More than one-third population of Bangladesh lives along the coastal belt of Bangladesh and depends on marine resource extraction including fishing for their livelihoods who are poor and exposed to disasters. Most coastal environments across the world are affected by climate change and sea level rise that expose threats to their inhabitants. The coastal zone is being continually attacked by cyclones, shoreline erosion, sea level rise, storm surge, coastal inundation, salinity intrusion, and land degradation. Fishermen communities of the coastal belt of Bangladesh depend on fishing in the Bay of Bengal and nearby rivers. In recent times, because of climate
change, cyclones and storm surges increased in the Bay of Bengal. But because of poverty, during cyclones and storm surges, fishermen continue their fishing in the rivers and Bay of Bengal (BoB) for which the death toll has increased. Only in 2016-2020, 322 fishermen death occurrences are recorded in the BoB. But there is no risk of recovery support and alternate income generating activities, ultra-modern information support system, and early warning for fishermen communities to promote resilient fishermen communities.