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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
www.MottleyLawFirm.com | (804) 823-2011
1
Kevin’s Half-Marathon Adventures
2
Resolving Differences With Marriage Counseling
3 Lessons to Teach Your Teen Driver
3
Kevin’s Guide to Saving Valentine’s Day Chipotle Bourbon Pumpkin Chili
4
The Furry Saviors of Bangladesh
HOW BANGLADESHIS USE OTTERS TO HARNESS THEIR CATCH THE FURRY FRIENDS OF THE FISHING INDUSTRY
If you wander down a riverbank in southwest Bangladesh, you might happen upon a squealing, squeaking crate of river otters. The otters aren’t in danger. In fact, they’re the pampered helpers of the region’s fishermen and women, who’ve trained them to herd fish. Yes, that’s right — just as we use herding dogs to corral sheep and cows into pens, people who fish in Bangladesh use otters to drive fish, crabs, and prawns into their nets. The practice dates back hundreds of years — and it’s impressive to watch. First, in the dead of night, the Bangladeshi anglers load crates of otters onto their boats and head out to fish. Each otter wears a small rope harness and leash attached to a wooden pole. As soon as the boat reaches the fishing area, the fishermen release the otters. They dive into the water and paddle furiously after schools of fish, encouraging them to swim into their owners’ nets. According to the publication Roads & Kingdoms, Bangladeshi fishers can catch more than 20 pounds of fish per excursion thanks to their otter helpers. Locals breed otters specifically for this purpose, raising them just like Westerners raise dogs and cats. This otter-human partnership is an important part of Bangladeshi culture. The fish the otters bring in sustain their owners through lean times and
help them survive periods of famine. However, according to the BBC, the tradition is slowly fading away. Rivers in the region are drying up, pollution is surging, native fish are disappearing, and families are getting out of the otter business.
One third-generation fisherman told Roads & Kingdoms that as of 2015, only 12 families in Gopra Village, where he lives, continue to fish with otters. That’s a tiny fraction of the 100 families that fished when his father ran their family business. However, he told the reporter he “will continue to work with otters as long as there are fish to catch.”
To learn more about this fascinating human-animal partnership and see a video of the otters in action, head to YouTube and search “Bangladesh otter fishing.”
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