Fishing Trawler Made in Bangladesh

About 10 kilometers south of Firozpur town, on the west side of a canal of the Kacha River, there is a dockyard in Umidpur.  The century-old Parerhat Dockyard is famous in Bangladesh for building fishing trawlers used in rivers and the sea.

At the beginning, the main frame is made strong and sturdy using imported wood. The initial structure is built with foreign woods like Basalo and Azri.

For the rest of the trawler, woods from Gorjon, Mahogany, Trishul, and Chambal trees are used.

Raw Materials

Wood is imported from Thailand, Myanmar, and South Africa and brought to this dockyard from Chittagong. Most of the local wood comes from Khulna.

In the past, Bangladesh had to buy necessary fishing trawlers from Thailand and Myanmar. Each fishing trawler requires about 1,200 cubic feet of wood.

Craftsmen

Now the trawlers are built by local craftsmen. Without any formal education or training, they build fishing trawlers based entirely on their own experience and judgment.

From November to May, during the dry season, craftsmen work under a contractor to build the trawlers. Around 10 craftsmen are needed for each trawler project.

Each craftsman is assisted by three to four helpers or laborers. Most of them come from Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram. Depending on the type of work, a craftsman earns a daily wage between 800 to 1300 Taka.

Construction Process

The front structure of the trawler is locally called Anni or Annik, commonly known as the bow.

The lower part of the main structure is curved and built using Chambal, Jarul, and Gorjon wood, while thick planks of Mahogany and Trishul are used on the upper part.

The middle structure of the trawler is known as Chanda or Chandina.

At first, rows of three to five-inch thick planks are joined to the main frame using crowbars and ropes. Later, triangular wooden pieces are hammered in to fill the gaps in between.

Holes are drilled into the planks, and large, thick nails are driven in. Since fishing trawlers travel deep into the Bay of Bengal, craftsmen build them strong enough to withstand storms and high winds in deep sea.

Depending on the size, a trawler can be 12 to 16 feet wide and 36 to 56 feet long.

After the nails are driven in, their visible heads are pushed inside and sealed with putty and a coat of paint to protect them from exposure to air and water.

Trawler Deck

The deck of the trawler is the central hub for all fishing activities. Most of the space beneath the deck is used for fish storage. From the time the fish are caught at sea until they are unloaded at the port, they remain stored here.

In large trawlers, these fish chambers can hold around 500 maunds of fish. Every year, nearly 80% of the country’s 700,000 metric tons of fish arrive at ports using these fish chambers.

Construction Cost

The front section of the trawler has a covered setup dedicated to storing fish. The rear section includes the kitchen, engine room, storage room, cabins for living, and toilets.

To build one trawler, an owner has to spend around 6 to 7 million Taka, which covers construction materials, labor wages, and other costs. Out of this, about 3 million Taka is spent just on the engine and fishing nets.

There’s a separate wooden structure called the guard rail on the sides of the trawler. It protects the trawler from collisions with other boats, jetties, or objects along the way.

Alongside building new trawlers, old ones are also repaired at this dockyard. Most of the repair work is done during the government-declared fishing ban period.

Fishing Trawler Repair

A new trawler usually needs repairs after sailing for about 7 years. A trawler made from local wood lasts up to 10 years, while one built with imported wood can last up to 20 years.

Both new and old trawlers require a process called gaini. Craftsmen call it the task of stuffing cotton and thread between the wooden planks all over the trawler.

This work must be done very carefully. When gaini is done properly, there is no chance of water leaking inside through the gaps in the wood.

Finishing and Capacity

To strengthen the joints between two planks, a sealing paste called puti is used. It’s made by mixing incense powder with kerosene and water to create a sticky mixture.

Different craftsmen handle gaini, applying puti, and performing repair work. The puti is applied at the joints to make the trawler watertight.

Once gaini and puti are done, the repair worker starts applying tar. This tar coating protects the trawler from damage caused by the salty seawater.

Finally, the engine blade and directional rudder are installed. A single engine of 100 to 140 horsepower turns the blade to move the trawler forward.

It usually takes about three to four months to complete the construction of a trawler that can carry 16 to 18 sailors.

Conclusions – Golden Past

During the Sultanate and Mughal periods, Bengal was globally renowned for building wooden sea-going ships.

History tells us that even the powerful warships of the Turkish Ottoman Navy were once built in Bengal. These ships helped the Sultanate guard the Mediterranean Sea.

Carrying on that legacy, dockyards in coastal districts like Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Barguna, Lakhimpur, and Firozpur continue to advance in shipbuilding.

The final step of the process involves sliding the trawler down a sloped railway into the water to test and complete the build.