The Story of A Honey Collector in Sundarbans

In Sundarban area, Bangladesh part, many people dependent to the forest. The increasing population along the Sundarbans periphery have few alternative livelihood options and therefore little choice but to depend upon the forest for their survival; thousands of people enter the forest on a daily basis to harvest timber, fuelwood, fibres, golpatta leaf for roofing, grass for matting, reeds for fencing and fish for their own consumption and other NTFPs .Also there is a season to collect honey and wax. These massive activities in the forest made tiger so familiar with people. That is why the number of fatality attacks in this area is very high. Approximately 30-40 people died each year due to tiger attacks. In order to manage the number of people that can enter the forest, the forest department has regulations for people who enter the Sundarbans forest. There are four kinds of permits to enter the Sundarbans: fish collection permit, honey collection permit, crab collection permit and non-timber wood collection permit.  Each permit has long life for three months. When I visited Sharankhola Upazila, one of ranges in the Sundarbans area, I met a honey collector. His name is Mutalib. I went to his house because my friend wanted to buy some honeys from him.  He just came back from the forest some days ago from collecting the honey.  I tried to ask several questions from him related to honey collections in the Sundarbans. Not so much information I got from the conversation, since I can’t speak Bengali language.

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A Honey collector is the most risky profession in the Sundarbans.  Many honey collectors attacked by tigers in this area and most of them died.   Honey collectors usually stay in the forest for some times to collect the honey. Some of them stay 15 days in the forest and the others can stay in the forest until the permit ended (approximately 3 months).  To get the honey, they have to go in the deep Sundarbans forest, the place where Bengal tigers are. In the deep Sundarbans, honey collectors stay in their boat. When they are collecting honey, they will cover their face with cloth. Then, some people lit up torchesmade up of leaves and twigs to create smoke to chase away bees. The smoke forced the bees to fly away from their home. But a few of them attacked the honey collectors who weren't holding the torch. After the bees leave their “home” one of team members will climb the tree and start to harvest the honey.  They will never harvest all the wax and will leave some parts for the bees.   While some were busy gathering honey, others were onguard and were bursting crackers and blowing buffalo horns to scare away any tigers in the area. Based on Mutalib story, almost all honey collectors have experienced to meet with tiger.

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Income earned from collecting honey is not worth as the risk faced by honey collectors. Based on Mutalib experience he only collected 23 kg honey from 17 days stayed in the forest.  He collected honey together with 5 other friends. The permission from Forest Department (FD) is for six persons including him.  Mutalib then sold the honey to the city. He usually sells the honey 300 Taka per kg honey ($4). To go to the city he has to take long journey.  The only option to go to the city is by rented motor bike. In total, he has to spend 500 taka for returned cost.  If we calculated, he earned 6400 taka ($80) only from 17 days trip in the forest. A Honey collector is the most risky profession in the Sundarbans.  Many honey collectors attacked by tigers in this area and most of them died.   Honey collectors usually stay in the forest for some times to collect the honey. Some of them stay 15 days in the forest and the others can stay in the forest until the permit ended (approximately 3 months).  To get the honey, they have to go in the deep Sundarbans forest, the place where Bengal tigers are. In the deep Sundarbans, honey collectors stay in their boat. When they are collecting honey, they will cover their face with cloth. Then, some people lit up torchesmade up of leaves and twigs to create smoke to chase away bees.  The smoke forced the bees to fly away from their home.

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But a few of them attacked the honey collectors who weren't holding the torch. After the bees leave their “home” one of team members will climb the tree and start to harvest the honey.  They will never harvest all the wax and will leave some parts for the bees.   While some were busy gathering honey, others were on guard and were bursting crackers and blowing buffalo horns to scare away any tigers in the area. Based on Mutalib story, almost all honey collectors have experienced to meet with tiger.

Sometimes he also can sell the honey directly in the village if somebody needs the honey but it’s really rare. Most of the time, he has to go to the city to sell his honey.

I try to ask him, why he wanted to do this kind of very risky job, while he can not earn a lot of money from this job.  He said that “If I have other choices to live in this village without going to the forest, I would never go to the forest.  Going to the forest is like I staked my live. If I am lucky enough I can safely arrive at home again.  But if I am not lucky enough, I may never come back to my home again.