Bangladesh is endowed with vast marine, coastal and inland waters having great fisheries potential: a 480 km long coastal line and approximately one million hectares of territorial waters extending 19 km up to the sea. The nation's economic zone extends 320 km out into the sea from the coast line. Total fish production in 1989–90 amounted to 847,000 tons, of which 72% was derived from inland fisheries and 28% from marine fisheries. Of inland fisheries, 69% was from open water capture fisheries and 31% from closed water culture fisheries (ponds, beels, baors and brackish water aquaculture). Clearly inland open water capture fisheries are the most important part of the fisheries sector, accounting for 49% of total fish production. So even small improvements in the average yield of inland open water capture fisheries could significantly affect national fish production and consumption.
Inland fisheries production comes mainly from natural bodies of water, the rivers and canals, the beels and haors, and the floodplains. Their importance in terms of nutrition and employment is immense.
The major river systems of the country are distributed over an area of 1 million ha (or 22,000 km long) and provide a base for artisanal and subsistence fishery activities producing around 180,000 tons of fish. Over the years production has been decreasing because of increased fishing pressure and a decrease in the extend of floodplain habitats because of the construction of flood control, drainage and irrigation systems, and the consequent obstruction of fry and fingerlings from rivers. Further declines of inland fish production are anticipated when all the planned water control projects are completed. Attempts have been made to counteract declining production in rivers by improving resources management, establishing sanctuaries and enforcing regulations but DOF has difficulties to implement these, due to lack of financial and trained man-power resources.
The economic loss caused by FCDI/FCD interventions, however has been offset by increasing harvest in inland aquaculture, marine catches and shrimp culture exports. However, the decline in the inland capture fisheries has significant nutritional consequences for many Bangladeshi, since capture fisheries are a major open-access resources for the poorer segments of the population and often the only source of animal protein, essential minerals and vitamins.
There is limited scope for geographically expanding the total area of inland fisheries and this area is expected to continue declining because of FCDI/FCD development. However, there is substantial scope for increasing fish yields and the area under aquaculture.
The term floodplain is generally applied to low-lying areas which are seasonally flooded by rivers. The flood plains cover a highly variable area which may be estimated at approximately 2.9 million ha during the flood season. The nature of the capture fishery in the flood plains is bound to the pattern of flooding during the monsoon season, at which time a major expansion of fish biomass takes place. The ability of flood plains and river systems to sustain themselves depends on the extensive system of interconnected areas of habitat which provide for reproduction, migration, feeding and growth. Almost all rural dwellers are engaged in part-time fishing in the flood season when the agricultural work load is low. Capture methods are generally rudimentary, and stock management, law enforcement and conservation practices aimed at sustaining production in the floodplains are difficult to apply, hence not implemented.
Floodplains are the food-rich breeding nursery and growth areas. Many of the fish species of economic importance migrate with rising and receding floods between rivers and the flood plains. At low water levels fish retreat to rivers. Therefore, any development in the floodplains would also affect the fish population in the river system. The flood plains and the rivers together form an important economic entity. The decrease in the floodplain area as a result of expanding flood control, drainage and irrigation schemes in the recent years has resulted in fish production, below its potential, and blocking the exchange between rivers and floodplains. This process of expanding flood control and irrigation works, may be necessary from the macro-economic policy point of view as it generates significant economic gains for the rural populations and agriculture, but utmost efforts must be made to mitigate their negative effects to fish production through appropriate designs.
Not only annual yields, but also both Hilsa and major carp stocks in floodplain have declined possibly because of FCDI/FCD development projects, embankments, sedimentation and overfishing. This can be offset by (a) the rehabilitation of Hilsa stocks and (b) the adoption of cultured-based fisheries technology and management which involves continuously stocking floodplain with appropriate carp species at optimum stocking ratios and densities. The World Bank has been implementing a large scale stocking programme to increase fish stocks in floodplain under the Third Fisheries Project (TFP) since 1991.
The World Bank (1991) indicated that floodplain fishery production could reach between 1,090 and 1,410 thousand tons in the year 2010. This implies an annual growth rate of 4.5% to 5.5%. The potential for the increased production in the floodplain may be considerable, but realizing it will require sustained policies and action to facilitate the projected rate of growth.
The marine fisheries have contributed to maintaining fish supplies by offsetting the decline in catches of the inland fisheries sector. Over the last two decades the share of marine fisheries in total national landings has gone up from 10.6% in 1970 to 28.1% in 1990.
Bangladesh has an extensive continental shelf extending virtually to the edge of the 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The total area of the shelf down to 200 meters is estimated at 67,000 km2 of which an estimated 37,000 km2 are of less than 50 meter depth. This area is exploited by the country's small scale fleet composed of some 17,000 boats of different sizes, 6,000 of which are reported to be motorized. About 90% of the marine fish catches are taken by artisanal fishermen and the remaining 5% by the industrial trawlers. However, in terms of value, the industrial sector is of great importance because landings of high-valued shrimp. But at the same time it is responsible for discarding about 30,000 tons of by catches (or trash fish) per annum.
The offshore industrial trawl fishery is relatively a new development, and the Government involvement in the marine fishery field is through the Bangladesh Fishery Development Corporation (BFDC) which operates a fleet of fish and shrimp trawlers. Except for the few trawlers owned by the BFDC most are privately owned, some being operated on partnership basis. Since 1974, there have been initiatives taken by private commercial operators for off-shore fishing, with special emphasis on shrimp trawling for export. To date some 70 licenses have been given by Government for trawlers of different sizes. Only 53 are currently in operation, as some are still under construction, while some of the older ones are laid off for major repairs. of the 53 trawlers in operation, 40 are engaged for shrimp trawling and others for fish. Overall the shrimp catches have dropped recently, possibly due to excess fishing effort. From a peak of some 5,000 in 1988, the catch dropped to 3,200 tons in 1990.
No attempt has been made to exploit the off-shore and deep sea pelagic stock of tuna, tuna-like species, shark, etc. and these stocks are reported to be exploited illegally by foreign vessels. Exploitation of these resources is constrained by the lack of knowledge of fish resources and of the means of exploitation, and absence of any reliable catch and effort data.
The fishery resources of the Bay of Bengal are strongly influenced by highly changeable environmental conditions. Generally the period from September to March is characterized by fine weather and calm seas. In April, the south-west monsoon appears and the period April to August is marked by rough seas, caused by strong winds with heavy rain, resulting in considerably reduced fishing operations. The Bangladesh coast is often subjected to heavy cyclonic storms during May and June and again during October to December.
Majority of the shrimp species exploited are common to both artisanal and industrial fisheries. The industrial fishery harvests mostly the adult phase and the artisanal the preadult, post juveniles and the juveniles. Penaeus monodon is the most targeted species and fetches a very good price both in local and international markets. However, the highest contribution to total production (63%) is made by Metspenaeus monoceros (brown shrimp).
The finfish species presently exploited are mainly demersal, shallow water estuarine species and also some mid water species. Hilsa is the prominent fish in both inland and marine catches accounting for about 13% of inland, 46% of marine and 22% of total fish production. Hilsa accounts for 78% of the fish caught by mechanized gillnets which in turn account for 94% of the small-scale marine fishery.
A number of surveys have been conducted in the marine waters of the Bangladesh continental shelf but controversies remain about the extent of fish resources within the EEZ, particularly so far as the pelagic fishery resources are concerned. The 1979–80 survey assessed that the pelagic stock was between 60,000–120,000 tons.1
Surveys of demersal resources give different estimates of the demersal fishery biomass varying between 55,000 tons and 373,000 tons. However, the results of the three most recent demersal stock assessment surveys, carried out at the exploited phase of the stock, are quite close between 152,000–160,000 tons. A reliable assessment of the penaeid shrimp stock has yet to be made, there are large variations in the estimates ranging between 1,000–9,000 tons.
The World Bank Review (1991) indicated that marine fish production could increase from its present level of 230,000 tons to between 300,000 and 325,000 tons by 2010 at an annual growth rate of 1.3 to 1.6% per annum. Such an increment could be realized through the improvements in fishing technologies for pelagic fisheries (tuna, tuna-like species, sharks) which could amount to about 25,000 tons per year; improving Hilsa stocks (which is both inland and marine) through rehabilitation and conservation which could and another 25,000 tons/year; harvesting fish now allegedly caught by foreign trawlers which is estimated around 15,000 tons per annum in the Bangladesh waters; and collecting the shrimp trawlers by-catches amounting some 30,000 tons/year.
1 Dr. Fridtjof Nansen Survey 1979–80.
Pond fishery is an important component of Bangladesh fisheries. The production from this sector (mainly carp species) accounted for 85% of the total aquaculture production reaching 163,000 tons in 1989. The output increased by 27% during the period 1983 to 1989 with an annual growth rate of 7.0%.
In most areas of the country almost every homestead has one or more ponds which are used for multipurpose activities, bathing, washing, livestock, small-scale agriculture and traditional fish culture. There are about 1.3 million ponds in the country covering an area of 147,000 ha. Fish production takes place in about 50% of these ponds on a traditional basis. About 30% of the ponds are derelict either for want of funds to re-excavate and to maintain them for production purposes, or for multi-ownership problems. The rest are cultured, where the technology is either extensive and management is restricted to stocking with fry of unknown quality and quantity, which are left to grow unattended, or semi-intensive with the use of fertilizer and chemicals, Under the traditional system production ranges from 350 kg/ha to 500 kg/ha per year, depending on the extent of stocking and management. In recent years the DOF with the assistance from external donor agencies, has succeeded in developing and transferring new technologies and improved methods of fish pond management to private pond operators who have achieved a production ranging from 1000–1,500 kg/ha/year.
Ponds have a considerable potential for increased production. Compared to potential, the present production is low because of high risk associated with flooding and drought, and because pond-owners and operators lack technical know-how. Flood and drought risk cannot be eliminated, but knowledge can be improved through extension services. existing technology must be presented in a manner that is adapted to suit the financial and technical realities of farm and market conditions.
The Kuas (pits, ditches, ponds in a beel) could also contribute to increasing production. They are most effective where beels are relatively shallow and most land in private hands; in the latter case the density of Kuas is greater and fish have nowhere else to go. It is difficult to prevent private landowners from digging Kuas, but they are inimical both to conservation and to the flow of benefits to the target groups. Kuas could be regarded as a form of low intensity aquaculture.
Two farming systems would be of high relevance for higher production of cheap nutrition and foods as well as additional employment and income opportunities for open-water fishermen and socio-economically-handicapped rural poor, that is, low cost integrated fish farming and pen/cage culture of air-breathing fishes. The former has been developed by DANIDA and ICLARM over the years, whereas the latter needs to be initiated.
The World Bank Review (1991) indicated that pond fishery production could double from 150,000 tons (1987–88) to between 296,000 and 335,000 tons in 2010 with an annual rate ranging between 3.2% and 3.7%.
Coastal aquaculture consists primarily of brackish water shrimp farming, for which Bangladesh is well endowed with extremely favourable resources and conditions. These include: (i) availability of tidal land; (ii) warm temperature throughout the year; (iii) fertile pond soils; (iv) favourable water salinity levels; and (v) cheap labour. Despite these favourable conditions, shrimp culture methods are in most part traditional and some extensive using various combinations of shrimp and rice, shrimp and salt or shrimp and fin fish, and in few cases shrimp monoculture.
The areas suitable for shrimp culture methods are estimated at 200,000 ha of which 150,000 ha are in the southwest and 50,000 ha in the southeast. In recent years the area under brackish water shrimp culture has recorded a remarkable increase from about 20,000 ha in 1980/81 to about 110,000 ha in 1993. Only a small fraction of land area used for shrimp culture however employs even extensive technology, the rest still resorts to traditional low yielding methods, the yields of which can be much increased through improved management. The average annual rate from the traditional systems vary between 60–100 kg/ha, while improved extensive farms applying extensive production technology yield an average of 260 kg/ha with peaks ranging from 400–450 kg/ha. With further intensification through the use of improved water management practices, adequate stocking and artificial feeding, yield of up to 2,500 kg/ha have been achieved. One of the main constraints to expansion of such intensive methods is the present heavy reliance on wild seed or larvae for stocking, the supply of which is erratic and unreliable and the seeds are of uneven size. The resulting large scale collection of wild post-larvae is likely in the long term to have negative impact on natural stocks of shrimp and fish. Furthermore farmers and extension agents have limited knowledge of scientific shrimp culture and marketing facilities. These factors, when combined with risk aversion tendencies of the farmers, and relatively high land values can be expected to prevent any rapid adoption of intensive production methods.
The new shrimp farming system has opened up a number of employment opportunities for the people, especially for rural women, in seed collection, catching fish on farms, deweeding, earth and brickwork for farm use, work in depots and processing.
The brackishwater aquaculture provides thus hope for the rural poor particularly as an option to the displaced fishermen and fishing communities of the country. Its role in the improvement of nutrition and the socio-economic upliftment in fish-farming communities is significant as shrimp farming is considered to be the most vital for augmenting foreign exchange earnings.
At present most of the benefits are enjoyed by large shrimp farmers who are generally city dwellers, alien to the area, and get the land on lease from small land owners to operate large shrimp farms. The benefits of shrimp farming could be extended to small farmers if instead of leasing their land to large farmers they would organize and pool their resources for shrimp culture.
The World Bank (1991) has projected that assuming that the area under shrimp farming in 2010 is about 175,000 ha and the average yield would increase to between 450 kg/ha and 600 kg/ha, the national production would reach around 92,000 tons from the present level of 28,000 tons.
Fishing in Bangladesh was an occupation undertaken primarily by members of particular Hindu castes. Given the low social status associated with fishing, these communities traditionally occupied the lower rungs of the social hierarchy in rural communities. Even in Bangladesh Muslim society, where caste is not recognized, groups involved traditionally in fisheries are accorded a generally low social status.
Significant changes have taken place in the social groups involved in fisheries with many Hindu fishermen migrating to India over the last 40 years, increased population pressure and the steady contraction of fisheries resources. While a core of full-time professional caste fisherfolk are still to be found in most floodplain areas of the country, their traditional field of activity is increasingly opening up to a wider range of rural people who have become more and more involved in fisheries. These newer entrants to fisheries may be attracted by the profitability of certain fisheries activities, at least on the seasonal basis, or they may be driven into fisheries through their exclusion from other labour markets or areas of income earning activity.
It is estimated that there are about 768,000 inland water fishermen who are often concurrently farmers, and 510,000 marine water fishermen, the majority of whom being traditional artisanal fishermen. They operate fishing in about 870 coastal villages and 45,000 rural communities in inland areas. Those who catch and appropriate fish may be grouped into four:
Fishing is normally carried out on individual basis, but in some instances fishermen form mutual-aid-groups out of kin. The capital is shared equally among the members of the group. In a larger scale fishing, formation of a group may require the inclusion of outsiders. The normal size of the group varies from seven to twelve members from the same kinship group.
Fishermen's cooperatives were formed by the initiative of the government to promote welfare of fishermen. However, in general, these cooperatives are ridden by unscrupulous non-fishermen (e.g. fish traders) and they find their own position and financial resources. In the absence of effective supportive structure within the cooperatives, fishermen members neither play a useful role nor get any benefits from the cooperatives.
There are three types of fishermen's organizations in Bangladesh:
The last two societies were established at the national level under different government departments; they do not have access to societies at field level. The BJMSS is the apex society registered with the Department of Cooperatives and had 88 central and 4,243 primary societies in 1992. The total individual membership of the primary societies numbered about 540,000.
Traditionally women in fishing communities have been involved in net-making and mending, fish processing, small-scale retail trade of fish and fishery products and livestock rearing. Since the early 1980's shrimp aquaculture has significantly contributed to expanding employment and income opportunities for rural women. Women's role in shrimp culture is to collect fry from rivers and to provide labour in shrimp processing.
Women can earn from the sale of shrimp post larvae as high as TK 3,000 (US$ 80) a year (world Bank 1989). It is estimated that about 80% of the workforce of post larvae gatherers are women and children. A cluster of female labour force has emerged in shrimp processing plants where 85% of the work such as sorting, peeling the shell of small shrimp, washing, grading, weighing and panning is done by women. skilled women earn TK 600 (US $ 16) to TK 800 (US$ 21) per month.
The country's fish processing industry, mainly freezing plants. has been over-capitalized. From 16 plants of a total capacity of 135 tons/day in 1980, the number has increased to 93 plants with capacity of 650 tons/day, and their utilization is estimated at around 15–20% of the capacity because of lack of raw material. The main reason for the overgrowth of the industry the availability of favourable and liberal credit. The bulk of the fish produced in the country is consumed domestically without any processing and only an estimated 25,000 tons of shrimps, frog legs and fish are processed for export annually. recent study estimate that 22 units working at 60% capacity would be adequate to handle what is currently produced and exported. On the other hand there is a grave shortage of ice for the fishing industry, in particular along the coastal belt and along market routes. Altogether there are 215 ice plants with a combined capacity of some 4,000 tons per day. The shortage is most felt during the peak fishing season as evidenced by the price variations from TK 20 to TK 300 a block. With a projected increase in supplies from recently established shrimp farms and in shrimp and fish exports, adequate supply of ice to preserve fish and shrimp from harvest to processing is extremely essential.
There has been very little attempt by the government to provide support services and infrastructure to the traditional fisheries utilizing thousands of small mechanized and non-mechanized craft, ranging from small canoes to large motorized craft, although they supply about 25% of the country's fish supply. These traditional fleets have no adequate bases, or means supplies. The traditional boats which resort to day fishing do not normally carry ice and those vessels with extended fishing days, carry ice but much below the required norms. Loss of fish due to bad handling and ill-equipped landing sites and markets has been estimated at 15 to 20%.
The trawler industry is based at Chittagong, and the fishery harbour, constructed with apparent disregard to hydraulic engineering feasibility has silted up and the industrial fishing fleet has to face major operational hazards, with loss of fishing time and fish quality.
Fish is marketed in many forms in Bangladesh, ranging from fry/fingerlings for culture to live, fresh and dried/cured fish for domestic consumption and frozen products for export. Along with the aquaculture development in recent years, trade in juvenile fish and crustacea has significantly increased.
Fish marketing is carried out at four different stages, i.e. primary villages, assembly points, secondary distribution points, and terminal cities. Fish marketing, which is largely in the hands of the private sector, is managed, financed, and controlled by a group of intermediaries known as aratdars (commission agents) and mahanjans (financiers or money lenders). Wholesale fish markets are mostly run by a few aratdars who greatly restrict the newcomers. The aratdars provide advances to fish traders who in turn are required to bring fish to them for sale. The fish traders also provide advance to the fishermen who are to sell fish to them. Competition is not keen especially at the fish assembly stage. The assembling of fish from fishermen is perhaps the most profitable activity in the entire marketing chain, because the fishermen lack bargaining power.
A study carried out by the Overseas Development Administration (1987) indicates that the village traders (primary assemblers) normally charges a commission of 30% of the retail price. There is evidence of widespread exploitation of fishermen and the extraction of rent by traders and leaseholders. It will, however, be difficult to reduce this exploitation unless competition is facilitated and fishermen are provided with adequate credit and marketing facilities and they develop a collective marketing system.
The fish marketing system is a traditional, complex and less competitive but relatively efficient system. however, it faces serious problems, including heavy losses and waste and poor fish quality. Yet, since fish demand generally exceeds supply, there is limited incentives for traders to improve the quality of the marketing system. It is believed that in Bangladesh 10% to 12% of all fish caught spoils and becomes unsuitable for human consumption. This economic waste can be reduced by cold storage facilities, insulated and refrigerated transport systems, and adequate supplies of ice.
Fish is caught in small quantities throughout the country. The fish marketing infrastructure is inadequate and needs improvements to increase marketing efficiency. The marketing system must also adjust to:
the expanding export demand for quality frozen seafood,
the expanding domestic demand for quality fresh and frozen fish,
the large seasonal fish catches in areas far from the main markets and fish landing centres, and
expanding fish supplies in development project areas.
The private sector accounts for most fish marketing, but a very small fraction is handled by the Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC). BFDC originally entered the fish marketing to develop a modern fish marketing infrastructure, increase competition and provide wholesale and retail market stability to protect both fishermen and consumers. In addition to marketing the fish caught by BFDC trawlers and from the BFDC managed Kaptai Lake (BFDC carries out stocking and harvests around 3,500 tons per annum), BFDC buys fish from Oxbow Lakes Projects and from government project areas.
Proper inspection and quality control are essential to maintaining and expanding market share in major export markets. The DOF is responsible for this function through the Fish Inspection and Control Service (IQCS) which issues certificates enabling processors to obtain export licences. It has two laboratories in Chittagong and Khulna, and smaller unit at Dhaka. Inspection consists of microbiological analysis of end -products. Plant inspection is not presently carried out and IQCS has no responsibility for landing places, ice plants or peeling/decapitating establishments outside processing plants.
The service needs assistance to be in a position to work more closely with all actors in the post harvest subsector to test practices, set standards, publicize the necessary improvements to be made, organize an extension and make an impact at all levels of the marketing chain so that damage to and loss of fish is minimized.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (MOFL) has the overall responsibilities to oversee the operations of the fisheries subsector in Bangladesh. The specific role is assigned to the Department of Fisheries (DOF) as the executive branch of MOFL in implementing government policies in the fisheries subsector. DOF is headed by a Director who reports directly to the Secretary, MOFL. The Director is assisted by 2 Additional Directors, one of whom is in charge of overseeing development projects. In the field, DOF staff are deployed at divisional, district and Thana levels.
DOF functions are both regulatory and development. The regulatory functions involve policy advice, quality control and enforcement of laws and regulations which affect the fisheries subsector. The development functions largely relate to fisheries resource management and conservation, extension services and training, and information collection. In addition there are revenue generating activities of DOF which include 81 fish seed multiplication farms and 6 hatcheries. The financial performance of these two activities has been poor and the units have suffered heavy losses. In contrast private hatcheries have made substantial profits. There is pressure on DOF to divest to the private sector most of its farms and hatcheries, retaining only those required for training and demonstration purposes.
FRI was created in 1984 by spinning off DOF's and BFDC's research activities. FRI is an autonomous research organization under the administrative supervision of a Board of Governors. The on-going FAO/UNDP project “Assistance to Fisheries Research Institute” BGD/89/012 is to strengthen the FRI to provide the scientific basis for sustained and progressive development of fisheries in the country and to prepare contingency plans for mitigating effects.
Presently, the FRI in addition to its Headquarters in Mymensingh has four research stations: i) The Freshwater Station, Mymensingh; ii) Riverine Station, Chandpur; iii) Marine Fisheries and Technological Station, Cox's Bazar and iv) Brackishwater Station, Paikgacha (Khulna). It has two sub-stations, one at Rangmati for reservoir fishery and the other at Shatahar for floodplain fishery research. Establishment of another sub-station at Sunamgonj has been initiated. With the support provided under the Agricultural Research Project II, FRI has made some progress in establishing a network of four fisheries research stations. The FRI is expected to receive funding support under the proposed Agriculture Research Project III to give emphasis on adaptive research programmes related to inland and marine capture fisheries, aquatic environment, biodiversity and conservation of genetic resources. The organization of FRI is shown in Annex 2. There is a need for strengthening of FRI, particularly in other discipline (e.g. socioeconomics) to have proper multi-disciplinary approaches in its research.
The BFDC was created as an autonomous organization under Act No.XXII of 1964 and ratified in 1973 which stipulates activities concerning development of infrastructure for preservation, processing, distribution and marketing of fish and fishery products; surveys of marine fish resources, training of manpower, credit, introduction of new fishing techniques, trawl operations, inputs supplies, net-making, marketing/export, quality control, ice-making, fish meal manufacturing, shrimp feed making, etc. The BFDC's functions can be divided into promotional and commercial activities for both marine and inland fisheries.
The BFDC now operates a number of fish and shrimp trawlers in the Bay of Bengal, manages some large water bodies such as Karnephuli Reservoir, FCDI projects in three areas, Dhaka, Narayanganji and Demra (DND), Gulshan Lake, and undertake marketing of fish in Dhaka by transporting them from Chittagong, Rangamati, Cox's Bazar, Jessore and other places; operates wholesale fish markets and sale centres in Dhaka and other cities.
Institutional credit for fisheries sector in Bangladesh is provided by two specialized government owned banks and by four commercial banks, one of the latter is a cooperative bank. Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB) and Rajshahi Krishi Unnanyan Bank (RAKUB), are the specialized banks, and Sonali Bank, Agrani Bank and Janata Bank are the three nationalized commercial banks. The private sector commercial bank with the government as majority shareholders is Rupali Bank and the cooperative Bank is the Bangladesh Samabaya Bank Ltd (BSBL), which is the national apex federation of 62 Central Cooperative Banks (CCBs). The latter bank, however, hardly plays a role in fisheries. There are also 400 Thana or Union Central Cooperative Associations (UCCAs), which are financed by Sonali Bank and which disburse loans to village based cooperatives mainly for agricultural seasonal inputs.
The key institutions among others involved in the fisheries sub-sector include the Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters Association composed of operators of food processing plants who have licenses to export frozen foods, the Fish Producers Association composed of small scale fishermen whose aim is to assist its members to improve their fishing operations; Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (Fisheries Division), an autonomous body within the MOA, with responsibility for drawing up research priorities, coordinating research efforts of the various institutes, evaluating research programmes and facilities, and preparing man-power development programmes and national research plans. Other institutions directly involved are the Ministry of Industry, which licenses the industrial trawlers and fish processing plants, the Ministry of commerce, involved as a licensing authority in export frozen seafood, and the Ministry of Shipping, which registers the fishing boats.
The Government of Bangladesh (GOB), with financial support from UNDP and technical assistance from FAO, is in the process of preparing a National Fisheries Development Programme, which will also form the basis of the Fifth Five Year Plan (1995–2000) in the fisheries sector. The document based on findings of two FAO missions (November 1992 for sector review and October 1993 for investment need assessment) is expected to form the basis for donor interventions for successful implementation of the fisheries programme.
This section gives a summary of the document on national objectives, policies and strategies, priorities and programme elements needed to achieve and sustain these objectives.
The Objectives for the fisheries sector consistent with those of previous Five-Year Plans, are laid down in the Plan as follows:
to increase fish production for domestic consumption;
to expand employment opportunities in fisheries and ancillary industries;
to improve the socioeconomic conditions of the fisherfolk, fish farmers and others engaged in the sector;
to develop fish production and fishery management technology;
to train required manpower at all levels for facilitating the transfer of technology;
to increase foreign exchange earnings through export of fish and fishery products;
to improve the general environment and conserve ecosystems;
to conserve fishery resources for sustainable development.
The recent trends indicate that fish production has been declining in the open water capture fishery systems such as rivers, canals, estuaries and floodplains. In order to foster recovery of the dwindling stocks and to improve fish production, the government has adopted the following strategies:
Large-scale of stocking of inland open water and inundated floodplains with strict enforcement of fishery management measures;
Identification of new fishing grounds in marine waters through surveys and exploration of the possibility of exploiting unexploited or under-exploited resources;
Intensification of aquaculture practices to obtain increased production per unit area;
Policy support to improve the quality of fish and fish products for local consumption as well as for export;
Development of infrastructure to support planned expansion of shrimp culture in the private sector;
Formulation and implementation of a well-defined land and water use policy to avoid wasteful resources conflicts along with effective measures against dumping of industrial and other wastes into open systems;
Development of skilled manpower, appropriate research and technologies, expanded institutional and organizational capabilities to plan and implement development activities;
Biological management of waterbodies with a view to obtaining yield at Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) level.
