Environmrnt desk: The collection of wild honey from the Sundarbans has fallen so much over the past few years, traditional honey collectors known as the “Mawali” are no longer motivated to enter the forest in the allotted time.

According to the Forest Department, a total of 723 quintal of wild honey was collected from the Burigoalini range in Sundarbans West Zone last year. 

The range is considered to be the largest honey collection zone in the mangrove forest.

From the same range, 885 quintal was collected in 2015-16, 1030 quintal in 2014-15, and 1082 quintal in 2013-14.

“In the last few years, those who are entering the forest at the government declared time, are getting less amount of honey,” Sirajul Islam, a Mawali from Datinakhali area under the Burigoalini range,

Forest officials have blamed the reduced volume of honey on rising water salinity levels and the construction of mobile phone towers inside the forest.

Experts believe the changing of the flowering time period during the natural collection months of April, May and June could also be a factor.

The forest department only issues permits to the Mawali people for entering and collecting honey from the Sundarbans during this fixed timeframe.

“The government should shift the official time period for honey collection ahead by 15 days, as honey production has been beginning earlier than usual,” Pavel Partha, an ecology and biodiversity researcher with 12 years of experience working in Sunderbans, said.

“Many of the plants in the mangrove forest are dependent on honey for pollination. If the honey is not collected on a regular basis, the bees will become naturally lazy, and this could halt their movement as well as the pollination of plants.”