The present study was carried out to assess the livelihood and food security status of fishing community in
the northern districts from February to June, 2010. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools such as Focus
Group Discussion (FGD) and Crosscheck Interviews (CI) with key informants were used to collect the
information. Most of the respondents (fisher and non-fisher) were belonged to the age group of 30 to 45
years (50.0%) represented by 87% Hindus. Again most of the respondents had medium to small families.
Small family (<4 members) was higher in non-fisher (57.9%) than in fisher (47.1%) households. But
medium family (4-6 members) was higher in fisher (45.6%) than in non-fisher (37.6%) households. Most of
the fishermen were illiterate (75%). Small portion of them can sign only. Only 20% and 5% of fishers had
primary and secondary level education respectively. The main income source of fishers was fisheries
(71.4%). Agriculture contributed only 7.4% to the family income of fishers, whereas contribution of
agriculture to non-fishers’ family income was 50.1%. About 38% of fishers and 30% of non-fishers earned
less than Tk. 70/day. Around 40% of fishers and 43% of non-fishers were medium category income (Tk.70-
140/day) earners. Respondents getting more than Tk. 140/day were only 7.3% in fishers and 14.0% in nonfishers.
In the study area 38.0% of the fishers and 15.7% of the non-fishers were under extreme form of
poverty–they were in chronic food deficit situation. On the other hand, 37.2% of the fisher households and
32.0% of non-fisher households were in occasional food deficit. Fishing was more associated with food
insecurity and poverty. In the study area health facilities of the fishers community was very poor. Fishers
struggled for their livelihood. They always did not get access to adjacent water bodies and their access was
limited. They were neglected in all respect in the society. Generation after generation they remain illiterate
and are not able to contribute for the betterment of their community