Fri Aug 01 02:00:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

The Sundarbans, a crucial fishing hub in West Bengal, is facing a crisis due to dwindling fish populations, primarily caused by illegal trawling, pollution, and river alterations. This has led to significant economic hardship for local fishermen, resulting in mass migration to other states, particularly Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, in search of work. This migration is not only impacting livelihoods but also contributing to the disintegration of traditional folk art forms like Bonbibir Pala, Jari, Sari and Bhatiyali, as the artists and performers are forced to seek alternative employment elsewhere. Locals feel that the government is focusing on climate change as a cause instead of taking responsibility for allowing industrial waste and river alterations.

**News Article:**

**Sundarbans Fishermen Flee Dwindling Catches, Threatening Traditional Arts**

**Gosaba, West Bengal – August 1, 2025** – The Sundarbans, a vital fishing region in West Bengal, is grappling with a severe economic crisis as dwindling fish stocks force local fishermen to migrate in droves to other states in search of livelihood. The decline in fish hauls, attributed to illegal trawling, increasing pollution, and river modifications, has left small and marginal fishermen struggling to survive.

“Only about 10% of the boats got hilsa in mid-to-end-June. There was absolutely nothing for about a month. At the end of July, roughly 10-15% boats had some hilsa hauls. The rest returned with other fish,” says Narayan Das, the South 24-Parganas district unit president of Dakshinbanga Matsyajibi Forum (DMF).

The mass exodus is having a devastating impact on the region’s rich cultural heritage. Traditional folk art forms, such as Bonbibir Pala, Jari, Sari and Bhatiyali, which are deeply intertwined with the lives of the fishing community, are rapidly disappearing as artists and performers are compelled to abandon their craft for more sustainable income sources.

“A decade ago, there were about 20 Bonbibir Pala teams in our locality. Now, there are only five,” says Puranjan Mandal, a Gosaba resident who works with the Kolkata-based Banglanatak Dot Com.

The situation has been exacerbated by the lack of effective enforcement against illegal bottom trawling, which destroys the seabed ecosystem, and the unchecked discharge of industrial waste into the rivers. Locals accuse the government of prioritizing climate change as a factor instead of taking responsibility for these damaging practices.

“Teen boys are migrating for work. Besides, screen addiction keeps many young adults away from group social activities,” says Sanjoy Ganguly who helms the theatre group Jana Sanskriti.

Advocates for the fishermen are urging authorities to implement stricter regulations against illegal trawling, address pollution concerns, and consider easing restrictions in certain areas of the Sundarban Tiger Reserve to prevent a complete collapse of the fishing industry and the cultural heritage it supports. Unless immediate action is taken, the Sundarbans risks losing not only its economic backbone but also its unique artistic identity.

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