Dr. A.K.M. Nuruzzaman
Member-Director (Fisheries),
BARC
1. INTRODUCTION
In recognition of the pressing need for institutional and coordinated research in various aspects of marine fisheries for the overall development of fishery industry, the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) with effective collaboration from the MOFL3, proposed to establish the Fisheries Research Institute (FRI) in 1982, and subsequently the FRI was set-up in 1984 and started operation in 1985. Since the inception of the Research Institute, it has concentrated much of its efforts towards the research on freshwater aquaculture and the marine fisheries researches still remain at infancy stage.
2. R & D STRATEGIES
In the absence of a publicly announced long-term policy on the development of marine Resources, it is necessary to start from scratch by understanding what opportunities may arise over the next 15 years (2010 AD), by examining the strengths and weaknesses to evolve R & D strategies which will meet the social, economic and nutritional needs of the millions of malnourished population of Bangladesh.
2.1. Research Environment
Strategies are basically developed to suit the situation prevailing in the existing environments. All present today at this forum of national and international intellectuals, researchers, political leaders of the country, business corporations, fishermen and fish farmers, agree that all R & D activities have to operate within the constraints which the country is facing. The strategies also need to take care of the limitations and the development taking place in the neighbouring countries.
Bangladesh has 41,400 square nautical mile of EEZ and continental shelf of 66,000 sq. km. The MSY of fish catch is estimated not more than to be 3 lakh mt. of fish per year. The present marine catches are 2.46 lakh mt.
The marine resource is unprotected. Pouching needs to be quarded by Bangladesh Coastguard (BN) vessels Bangladesh EEZ needs to be protected from neighbours, though the security measures are expensive. This is a serious matter particularly when some of the neighbours whose own fishing grounds as well as fishing efforts have probably reached at optimum sustainable exploitation (OSY) levels.
2.2 The Strengths and Weaknesses
It is necessary to assess the strengths of the fishing effort in Bangladesh. It is a recognized fact that Bangladesh's traditional fishery sector is our main strength. More than 1.2 million people are involved in this marine sector and they deliver an annual catch at the tune of 95% of the total marine catch, mostly with artisanal mechanized crafts and partly with traditional craft. Approximately 12,000 mechanized vessels and over a fifty thousand wooden traditional craft constitute the traditional sector. This is a sector with very strong traditions and a very high efficiency of operation which showed continuous growth till the 80s. However, because of lack of adequate infrastructure to support the traditional fishing operations considerable difficulties are experienced by the sector, which incur appreciable amount of post harvest loss.
Exploitation of deep of sea resources is confined to coastal waters only for shrimps.
Presently, the nation is not adequately prepared to develop deep sea fishing. Deep sea fishing boats and trained manpower particularly engineers and gear generators are not available. Whatever available operates shrimp trawlers.
3. NEEDED ACTIONS
Nation has to feed its people and provide them with job therefore, increased production of fish and creation of jobs are of paramount importance. Fisheries industry could contribute towards both the objectives, if they are organized in a set of planned activities. As part of an overall national effort, foreign exchange earning is essential. In this case, the marine finfish and organisms even other than fish, could be on the top of the list of exporting items (Octopus, Oyster, Crabs, etc.).
Thus, it is important to know the status of stock (Resources) and then improve the marine catches upto 3 lacs of mt/year. Another very important aspect is the development of domestic market. Provisions for infrastructure have to be made and progress monitored constantly to ensure that a market of non commercial species emerges along with an export of non-traditional items (Molluscs, Cephalopods and Reptiles, etc.). Deep sea fleet has to be introduced along with joint ventures with developed countries (especially with Japan) and the neighbouring countries (India and Thailand). Fish processing and fish meal and fish feed manufacturing units need to be established with collaboration of these countries. Landing berths for the traditional fisherman's craft need to be established. Cold storage for the inland marketing of the sea fish is also essential.
4. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
The strategy for research and development of Marine Fisheries should be:
a) Optimization of the traditional fishing effort
The prime effort has to be optimizing the traditional fishing effort. This effort has to be backed by a reduction in wastage at the sea and post-harvest losses on landing.
Welfare and social benefit programmes for fishing communities along with the growth of social justice, have to be ensured by improving the distribution and marketing systems, to enhance the productivity and performances of the fishermen.
b) Developing the Deep sea fishing effort
This can be done by importing nation (Japan). The criteria for choosing technology for adoption in the country have to be: (i) effectiveness, (ii) low cost, and (iii) fishermen and people oriented approach.
It is a part of the overall deep sea fishing effort, country -to-country project must be encouraged for surveying the distant waters of the EEZ and establishing viability of approaches. Joint ventures in terms of acquisition of technology is needed for serving as a catalyst for a totally Bangladesh enterprise in order to develop indigenous skills.
c) Expand Domestic Market for marine catches
This starts all the way from providing harbours and fish terminals as part of the overall post-harvest infrastructure. The envisaged plan to cater to the domestic market has to be linked with a major effort to export non-shrimp varieties. The entire Bangladesh exports are very vulnerable because they are based on only one technology, which is flat freezing, and by and large, on one or two markets (Japan & USA). The marine fisheries development authority (MFDA) or Fisheries export promotion Bureau should be set-up to look after development of market more effectively.
5. RESEARCH NEEDS
Marine fishery includes both industrial and artisanal fisheries. Marine fish production has been growing rapidly in recent years, partly because of introduction of trawlers (74 out of which 56 for shrimps in operation) and 12,000 mechanized fishing boats. There is disagreement about the standing the harvestable stocks of marine fishery but experts agree that the marine sector in Bangladesh suffers from overfishing and overcapitalization and has limited growth potential. But whatever the interpretations available, proper resource-survey is essential to correctly assess the potential.
Marine Fisheries Research is just about to begin. Therefore, by the year 2010, it is essential to establish facilities, equip the labs and provide training to the researchers and technicians for skillful manpower development and build the minimum level of infrastructure such as research vessel etc. to investigate the resources. Linkages need to be established with private entrepreneurs, industry-houses and fishing communities and to conduct coordinated research projects with Universities and other concerned organizations both private and public sectors through a multi-disciplinary team of experts.
The envisaged research areas in marine fisheries may include the following aspects:
The marine fisheries research areas and FRI (Marine) should open up the following divisions at Cox's Bazar:
For fisheries technologies the following areas are identified by BARC:
Research and development needs in fishing or fish processing always call for a multidisciplinary approach. The research programmes of the Institute may be drawn up and executed with interdisciplinary involvement.
Proper processing and post-harvest technologies, fish preservation, the so-called trash fish is processed in such a manner that it can be used for human consumption or at least be utilized for fish meal or feeds manufacture, instead of being thrown back to the sea.
The importance of fisheries in the economy of the Maritime nations of the world has increased several fold particularly with the declaration of the Exclusive Economic Zone. This has offered the opportunities to these nations to explore and exploit the resources of their areas which have now become their exclusive preserve. The research efforts and developmental needs to exploit and utilize the fishery resources have become vary vast and varied that often a single institute will not be able to handle them by itself. A judicious approach will be to tackle the problems involving different organizations where the human resources available at the disposal of individual organization can be pooled to achieve the common goal. The FRI should undertake research programmes in collaboration with many other research and development agencies in the field under the coordination of BARC which has been recognized as the national apex body of research coordination, to achieve the objectives of fisheries research and development.
