A Dying Tradition of Bangladesh

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We all wake up, get ready, and go to work, some of us are lawyers, business owners, doctors, farmers – these are jobs that have been around for a while, and will likely continue to exist for years to come. 

But in a small village in Bangladesh (a country tucked just East of India) people have a career that likely won’t make it until the end of the Century. 

Meet Bhoben, a fisherman from this village, who paddled 3 days one way by wooden boat through the Sunderbans – the largest Mangrove Forest in the World and home to the Largest Tigers on Earth, The Great Bengal Tiger. 

He rowed for 3 days just to meet (or shall I say, fish) with us. 

But not what you and I think of as fishing. With Rods, Poles, and Nets, etc…

With Otters…

Yes, Otter Fishing.

He owns four otters, who live with him and his 8 children in his house during the day, and fish with him on his boat every evening.  

The fishing technique is extremely unique, first he releases the otters into the water, then he lowers a large net from the side of the boat instructing the otters to start chasing the fish from the shore’s edge into the net, after which they pull out the net – and WOLA, fish, shrimps, and lobsters!

Because the otters are raised by the Fishermen, they understand commands… it’s almost have their own way of speaking to each other…

This century-old tradition is passed down from father to son from generation to generation, and it is the main source of income for this little village. It is all they have done for years and years, and Bhoben can’t imagine doing anything else.

They don’t fish with Otters for Tourists, or even to preserve a dying tradition, they fish because it’s their livelihood.

Less than 25 years ago there were over 500 villagers but now there are less than 100 – due to overfishing and pollution of the waterways from oil and pesticides.

Otter fishing is on the verge of extinction, and short-haired otters are endangered. If the trend continues otter fishing will be “completely wiped out” within the next few decades.

The Otters provide fish, food, and income for the villagers, and thus the fisherman ensure that the dying population of otters are preserved – it’s a partnership in which neither could survive on their own.

So as you and I set out to explore the world, remember that not all careers and not all traditions are guaranteed to last in the future. We must each do our part to ensure that this knowledge is passed down from generation to generation.

And by doing so, unique ways of living like Otter Fishing won’t be lost.

Grab your Backpack there is more to explore!

Join me on my next adventure to Bangladesh, and experience incredible stories like otter fishing firsthand.

– Kylie