Two years ago, Yasmin Begum (42) received training and a grant for making fishing gear from the PPEPP-EU project. Her husband Ferdous (50) bought the required equipment and started making fishing gear and fishing traps (e.g. Chai, Dol, Khacha) with the support of Yasmin.
Although Yasmin’s family is doing well and has sales of around 1000 taka per week, she went through critical times before engaging in fishing gear making with her husband’s irregular income as a fisherman.
‘I thank the PPEPP-EU project for selecting me for the fishing gear-making training,’ said Yasmin while sharing her experience and inspiring the participants during the training held in the Galachipa Upazila of Patuakhali district.
Many like Yasmin participate in the fishing gear making training organised by the PPEPP-EU’s downstream partner organisations and make a living of it. Members with previous experience and interest in fishing gear making are selected for the two-day training.
The training imparts knowledge on the features and importance of fishing gear making, types of fishing gear that are commercially profitable and the techniques to take hold of the local market to make it a sustainable IGA for them.
Participants who attend the training learn to make various fishing nets such as drag nets, cast nets, push nets, seine nets, scoop nets and some useful fishing traps, for example, Angle, Polo, Kuti Chai and Duri. Till now, 100 members have participated in this training organised across all the PPEPP-EU working unions.
In the presence of the Upazila-level Fisheries Extension Officer and officials of the PPEPP-EU project, local experts provide hands-on fishing gear-making training to the participants.