The Arakan Army (AA) now controls 14 townships in Arakan State. While efforts are underway to revive local businesses, many communities continue to face severe challenges due to the junta’s blockades on land routes and ongoing security threats.
Agriculture and fisheries remain the main sources of income in Arakan State, alongside livestock farming.
Locals involved in fishing said the industry has been largely dormant for over two years. This decline is attributed to frequent patrols by the junta’s navy, which often targets Arakan fishermen for arrests, rising fuel and equipment costs, and a weakened market. Many are abandoning fishing because it requires high capital investment while offering little economic return.
"Fishing in Arakan State has really slowed down. There’s barely any trade, fish resources are shrinking, and the market is weak. Here in Pauktaw, people have invested a lot, but they’re just not making enough. Some have had no choice but to stop fishing,” said a fisherman in Pauktaw Township.
Pauktaw is a hub for marine fishing, aquaculture, and crab farming, with products previously exported to Sittwe, the state capital.
On 22 December, 2025, a junta warship arrested 28 fishermen from Sintetmaw Village in Pauktaw Township near Pannanttha Island, heightening local fears and discouraging people from going out to sea.
Fishing is widely practiced across Sittwe, Pauktaw, Myebon, Kyaukphyu, Thandwe, Manaung, Rambre, and Gwa townships. Before the current fighting, fish and shrimp were exported domestically and abroad. But the junta’s roadblocks imposed during the conflict have halted exports, leaving only small amounts for local sale.
"The fishing industry has really shrunk. Now we can only catch enough for our own communities. With the navy around, large-scale fishing is just impossible,” a Thandwe resident told DMG.
Fishermen in southern Arakan State reported similar struggles. Normal operations are disrupted as junta naval vessels patrol the coasts of Thandwe and Gwa townships, arresting and attacking fishermen, and putting lives at risk.
"With the navy out there, we can only fish near the shore. Inshore fishing costs less, but it only gives us just enough to survive,” said a fisherman in Gwa Township.
Illegal fishing by Bangladeshi nationals in Rathedaung and Maungdaw townships has also forced locals to avoid the sea due to safety concerns. In September 2025, a group of Bangladeshi fishermen reportedly killed two Arakan Coast Guard personnel near Koetankauk Village in Rathedaung Township and seized their weapons.
As a result, Arakan State’s fisheries are struggling to recover, leaving locals facing severe livelihood challenges. Many fishermen and workers in related industries have lost their jobs and are confronting significant hardships.
