The recommendations arising from this consultancy mission fall naturally into two categories, viz those which relate to the industry as a whole (Sectoral Recommendations) and those which primarily relate to the activities of the FRI and particularly the BS (Institutional Recommendations).
A Sectoral Recommendations [Bangladesh]
Under no circumstances should any part of the remaining Sundarbans be clear felled, poldered, permanently flooded, over-exploited or otherwise damaged ecologically. However, sustainable exploitation of the forest on an integrated basis should continue under the management of the Forestry Department for the economic benefit of Bangladesh as a whole.
Bangladesh should declare the Sundarbans one of the great natural treasures of the world under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. If Bangladesh is not already a signatory to this Convention, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should take the necessary steps to achieve this.
Present conflicts between alternative land use strategies (aquaculture, agricultural crop production, livestock grazing, forestry etc) should be addressed and rational Government policies formulated.
The extension service for brackishwater aquaculture needs to be strengthened in order to allow this sub-sector to reach its full potential as a hard currency earner.
Post-harvest technology (handling, transportation, processing, packing and marketing) needs to be improved in order to achieve and maintain the highest possible product quality. This is required to meet the import regulations of consumer countries, and to maximise hard currency earnings in the face of increasing international competition.
International and bilateral aid suporting the development of brackishwater shrimp culture in Bangladesh should be directed towards a strengthening of the industry's infrastructure, rather than only on the establishment of further shrimp production projects for landless farmers.
B Institutional Recommendations [FRI & BS]
The problems associated with the site chosen for the BS at Paikgacha, should be resolved at the earliest possible opportunity, taking into account the need to preserve goodwill in the local community.
The headquarters secretariat of the FRI should move to Dhaka in order to permit closer liaison with other Government agencies, donor organisations and the private sector.
First class laboratory facilities and accommodation should be provided at the BS in order to recruit new staff and attract existing staff.
A commissariat, clinic, school and shuttle minibus service should be provided for BS employees and their families.
Central air conditioning should be provided in the main Administration and Laboratory Building, and the Hatchery and Demonstration Laboratory of the BS.
The water supply and layout for the ponds at the BS should be reviewed in the light of the detailed topographic survey which has still not been completed.
Additional technical staff will be required to operate the BS beyond those already specified in the latest staff allocation. It is also suggested that a photographic technician and a medical officer are also added to the staff list.
The research project entitled “Socio-Economic Study of the Impact of Shrimp Farming” should be approved and implemented by the FRI as soon as possible.
Proposals for the other eight research projects (APPENDIX M) should also approved and implemented as soon as possible, since they do not require the specialised research facilities of the BS for their completion.
Some staff recruitment and training for the BS should commence immediately, in order to provide sufficient manpower to conduct the preliminary research programme.
Additional staff recuitment and training should be planned well ahead of the completion of the BS, so that the facilities can be commissioned and become fully operational as early as possible.
The final draft of the tender documents including all the engineering drawings and specifications for the BS should be reviewed from a technical point of view, and amended if necessary, by either the aquacultural engineer or the shrimp specialist before the tender documents are approved and bids are invited for construction. [Ideally the tender documents should be reviewed by both specialists.]
Quarterly supervisory visits to the site should be made by either the aquacultural engineer or the shrimp specialist during the construction period. Particular attention should be paid to essential services and the overall standard of construction and finish. A final visit should take place before final acceptance of the buildings, ponds and other facilities.
The recommended list of books and periodicals for the BS should be substantially revised and expanded, especially in view of the relative isolation of the BS from the Library and Documentation Centre at the FRI headquarters in Mymensingh.
At least one year before the completion of the first Five Year Research Programme at the BS, the state of development and needs of the shrimp farming industry and brackishwater aquaculture in general should be reviewed. The progress of the BS should also be carefully evaluated at the same time. The results of these two reviews should then be used to identify and define the research priorities for the second Five Year Research Programme.
