page_title: Otter fishing
section_title: Bangladesh
hierarchical_section_title: Otter fishing / Bangladesh
caption_attribution_description: Otter Fishermen Harbaria Sundarban National Park Bangladesh
context_page_description: Otter fishing is a fishing technique which uses trained otters to fish in rivers. This method has been practised since the 6th century in various parts of the world, and is still practiced in southern Bangladesh.
context_section_description: Otter fishing is still practiced in Narail and Khulna districts, near the Sunderbans in southern Bangladesh. Here fishing with otters is a traditional practice in families, passed down through the generations by fishermen who breed the otters and train them to chase the fish into their nets. Earlier, both Lutra lutra and Lutrogale perspicillata were used for otter fishing, but today, only L. perspicillata is used. Otter fishing is usually done at night between 9 PM and 5 AM. The average catch by a single boat in a night ranges from 4 to 12 kilograms (8.8 to 26.5 lb) of crabs, fish and shrimp. Feeroz et al. (2011) recorded a population of 176 domesticated otters held in captivity amongst 46 groups of fishermen in these districts, of which 138 were working animals. Lack of fish, changes sought in livelihoods by the young and more economical methods of fishing have reduced the number of otter fishermen drastically.
caption: Otter fishermen in the Sundarbans National Park, Bangladesh
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