West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation's Go-Fishing project helps people experience fisher folk lifestyle

If you have a fishing rod, then it is your day. You'll cruise in river while enjoying folk tunes on board. You will experience real time fishing by fishermen and get a taste of aromatic food of rural Bengal. The unforgettable and enriching day will make a mark on your memory.

West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC) has started their 'go-fishing' project, which will unravel a natural 'real time' fishing experience for the urban populace. The half-a-day trip to river will open the door to explore rural Bengal, state tourism department hopes. In two separate trips – Namkhana, South 24 Parganas and Gadiara, Howrah were recently launched by WBTDC and have become very popular.

Besides popularising the fishing trends of rural Bengal among the urban people, the government also sees the holistic benefits of such project. The Bay of Bengal basin contains one of the richest fish source in India. The bulk of the population depends on fishing, but the nature could only provide them a meagre living. Most of the Bengali fisher folks are living below the poverty line. But the numbers of the fishermen are growing with time as it is the only suitable profession there. The experts also believe that rising level of sea is also encourages the neighbourhood to take fishing as their only profession.

Such projects, taken by WBTDC help out the poor fishermen and their families to live a good life and earn some extra money apart from their regular earnings. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's government took the development of the coastline a few years ago. But the process has begun to attract the tourists. The go-fishing is worlds apart from stereotypical tourism package which could not only bring an outstanding experience for tourists, but raise a new hope for the poor fishermen's tomorrow.

The cost of the trip is pocket-friendly. It will cost only Rs 1,150 for a tourist. The journey will start from the state Tourism centre. At around 7:30 am, the tourists will leave the Tourism centre with packed breakfast. The team of tourists will reach Namkhana at around 11 am.

They will be taken to the waterfront and then to the fishing boats. After a brief tea session on the boats, they will join hands with the fishermen. But all the tourists have to bring their personal fishing equipments including fishing rod.

The local folk singer will be there to sing. Tourists can gorge on local Bengali cuisine prepared by the fishermen's wives. WBTDC will arrange packaged drinking water on board. At around 3.30 pm, the tourists will come back to the shore.

They will take the buses to come back to Kolkata by 6.30 pm. "People will get a different experience here," said Amitabha Ghosh, director general, WBTDC.