PAPER 9. QUALITY CONTROL AND MARKETING OF FISH AND FISH PRODUCTS: NEEDS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND LEGAL SUPPORT

SUMMARY
1. INTRODUCTION
2. FISHERY RESOURCE POSITION
3. SPECIES COMPOSITION
4. CONSUMPTION AND DEMAND
5. DOMESTIC MARKETING SITUATION
6. MARKETING INFRASTRUCTURE
7. THE ROLE OF PUBLIC FISH MARKETING ORGANIZATIONS
8. THE ROLE OF COOPERATIVES IN FISH MARKETING
9. ACCESS TO CREDIT
10. SOCIOECONOMIC ASPECTS OF FISH TRADE
11. PRICE POLICY
12. EXISTING QUALITY STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC MARKETING
13. FUTURE OF DOMESTIC MARKETING
14. EXPORTS AND REGIONAL TRADE
15. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND INSPECTION OF FISH AND FISH PRODUCTS
16. QUALITY OF RAW MATERIALS
17. QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEM OF SEAFOOD EXPORTS
18. BOTTLENECKS AND CONSTRAINTS IN QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEM
19. IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED
20. CONCLUSIONS
REFERENCES

by
M. Muzaffar Hussain
Chairman (Acting) and Director (Marketing & Purchase), Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation, Dhaka.
and
Mohammed Helal Uddin
Deputy Director (Quality Control Laboratory), Directorate of Fisheries, Khulna.

SUMMARY

Quality control and marketing of fish and fish products are like the two sides of a coin. One cannot do without the other. Quality, in general, means the wholesomeness or the state of excellence of a particular product in terms of its appearance, shape, colour, taste and competitiveness in price to the buyer. In a nutshell, quality means the fulfillment of the customer's requirements.

Fish and fish products, being highly spoilable, deserve special care and attention being paid to them from the catching point to the frying-pen. The living habitats of fish are completely different from its post-harvest environments and its quality depends on many factors, such as intrinsic composition, degree of spoilage, damage, deterioration during harvesting, cleaning, washing, handling, preservation, processing, storage, transportation, distribution and marketing. A prolonged shelf-life and better quality can be maintained even under natural conditions in the cold countries than in tropical ones. In tropical and warm countries like Bangladesh, the quality of fish can better be controlled and shelf-life substantially increased through the introduction of a uniform cold-chain system from harvesting to marketing. This process being very costly, cannot be afforded for domestic fish processing and marketing. It is generally used only by the export-oriented fish and shrimp processing plants catering for the international market.

Processing of quality fish and fish products is again dependent on various physical factors, such as:

- primary quality of raw materials
- techniques employed in collecting raw materials
- landing, handling and preservation
- transportation and distribution
- facilities available in the processing plants
- processing technology used
- skilled workers and technicians
- sanitary and hygienic conditions of the plant
- cleanliness of equipment, and
- better storage facilities.

But in Bangladesh, many deviations and lapses are observed at the landing, handling, transportation and marketing stages as infrastructure in these subsectors, has not yet been developed commensurate to development in the modem aquaculture and processing industry.

In this paper, the authors will reflect the actual condition of the fishery industry vis-a-vis fish marketing and the quality assurance situation in Bangladesh, with particular respect to infrastructural development and legal support needed, and make recommendations on how to improve the situation.

1. INTRODUCTION

Bangladesh, with a land area of 1,43,998 sq.km. is surrounded by India on the west, north and northeast, by Myanmar (Burma) on the southeast, and by the Bay of Bengal in the south. For its size it has an extremely large population - of about 120 m people - that is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, having about 755 persons per sq.km. It is a country criss-crossed by innumerable rivers, tributaries, canals, haors, baors and floodplains which make it one of the largest inland fisheries in the world.

Bangladesh produced about 10.87 m MT offish in 1993-94, of which about 827,000 MT (76%) came from the inland and 260,000 MT (24%) from marine fisheries. Inland openwater capture fishery constituted about 552,000 MT (67%) and closedwater culture fishery 275,000 MT (33%) of the total inland fish production. Marine fish catch from artisanal fisheries and industrial (trawler) fisheries were 245,000 MT (94.25%) and 150,000 MT (5.75%) respectively. Per capita consumption of fish has been one of the- highest in the world during the first half of this century, which is why it is said "Fish and rice make a Bengali". Consumption of fish has, however, reduced greatly during the second half of the century, mainly due to the high rate of population growth. Annual per capita consumption of fish was 12 kg in 1962 63 and decreased to 7 kg in 1982-83. With the introduction of modem fish culture practices in inland waters and capture technology in deepsea waters, per capita production has risen to 8.80 kg per annum in 1993-94, but this is far below the Asian average of 25 kg and the world average of 12 kg per annum. The requirement of fish for the present population at the average Asian rate around 3.00 m MT. Thus, the shortfall is almost 2.00 m MT if all the people are to be provided with adequate fish protein.

Since 1978, Bangladesh has seen a rapid growth in the marine fishing industry. There are now over 6000 mechanized fishing sea trawlers, including 48 shrimp trawlers. Seafish landing of 89,000 MT in 1974-75 rose to 260,000 MT in 1993-94. Shrimp production rose from 57,656 MT in 1983-84 to 125,000 MT in 1992-93. Production of coastal cultured shrimp increased from 4368 MT to 23,500 MT during the same period, a 536% increase. The total production of 754,000 MT of fish in 1983-84 increased to 1087,000 MT in 1993-94 - an increase of over 44% in ten years. The number of processing and freezing plants has grown from nine plants with a capacity of 58 MT in 1971 to 115 plants with a capacity of about 750 MT per day in 1994. This has been an unplanned growth, with no consideration of the raw material situation. Export earnings from shrimp and fishery products was only US $ 4.49 m in 1972-73; this rose to 89.29 m in 1984-85 and US $ 325.83 m in 1994-95, an increase of 725%.

Fish marketing in the domestic market is not competitive in view of the huge gap in demand and supply. And international trading has been facing a serious challenge from other Asian countries. Infrastructural facilities, especially fish landing centres and wholesale and retail markets, are inadequate and unhygienic, often posing serious threats to public health. Quality assurance programmes in the country are also inadequate to cope with the developments in the industry and the consumer requirements in the major seafood markets of the world.

2. FISHERY RESOURCE POSITION

2.1 Total domestic production

2.1 Total domestic production

2.1.1 Inland production
2.1.2 Marine production
2.1.3 Shrimp production

Total production of fish in Bangladesh was 1,025,952 MT in 1992-93, of which 775,472 MT came from inland fisheries and 250,480 MT from marine fisheries, a ratio of production of 3:1. Total production of fish in 1993-94 was 1,087,000 MT of which 827,000 MT came from inland waters (76.08%) and 260,000 MT (23.92%) from marine waters. Fish production trend from 1971-72 to 1993-94 shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Trend of fish production in Bangladesh

F.Y.	Inland fish	% Increase/decrease	Marine fish	% Increase/decrease	Total production	% Increase/decrease
1971-72	729	100.00	85	100.00	814	100.00
1972-73	731	100.27	87	102.35	816	100.50
1973-74	732	100.41	86	103.53	820	100.73
1974-75	733	100.55	89	104.70	822	100.96
1975-76	545	74.75	95	111.76	640	76.62
1976-77	541	74.21	100	117.75	641	76.75
1977-78	533	73.11	110	129.40	643	79.00
1978-79	529	72.29	116	138.82	645	79.24
1979-80	524	71.88	122	143.53	646	79.36
1980-81	524	71.88	125	147.06	650	79.85
1981-82	556	76.26	130	153,00	686	84.27
1982-83	584	80.11	144	169.41	726	89.43
1983-84	589	80.80	165	192.12	754	92.63
1984-85	586	80.40	186	221.17	774	95.06
1985-86	587	80.52	207	243.53	794	97.54
1986-87	597	81.90	216	256.47	815	100.12
1987-88	599	82.17	226	268.24	827	101.60
1988-89	606	83.40	233	272.12	841	103.32
1989-90	616	84.50	239	281.18	855	105.04
1990-91	654	89.70	242	264.70	896	110.07
1991-92	710	97.40	245	266.26	955	117.32
1992-93	775	106.30	251	295.30	1026	126.00
1993-94	827	113.44	260	305.86	1067	133.54

Figure 1. Trend of fish production in Bangladesh

2.1.1 Inland production

Inland fish production was 827,000 MT (76.08%) in 1993-94, of which 552,000 MT (66.75%) came from the inland openwater capture fishery and 275,000 MT (33.25%) from closedwater culture fishery. Production from culture fishery has increased from 175,925 MT (21.30%) in 1987-88 to 275,000 MT (33.25%) in 1993-94 (see Figure 1).

2.1.2 Marine production

Marine fish production in 1992-93 was 250,480 MT, of which 11,230 MT (4.50%) came from the industrial fishery or deepsea trawling fleet and 239,250 MT (95.5%) came from the artisanal fishery, consisting of mechanized and non-mechanized fishing boats. According to provisional statistics, total marine production in 1993-94 was 260,000 MT, of which 15,000 MT (5.77%) were from the industrial fishery and 245,000 MT (94.23%) from the artisanal fishery (see Figure 1).

2.1.3 Shrimp production

Total production of shrimp and prawn in 1992-93 was 101,025 MT as against 57,656 MT a decade ago (1983-84) - an increase of 75%. During the same period, marine capture shrimp almost doubled (99.45%) from 12,020 MT to 23,975 MT, coastal aquaculture shrimp production increased by 546% from 4386 MT to 23,530 MT and freshwater prawn capture increased by 30% from 41,250 MT to 53,520 MT. Details of shrimp and prawn production are shown in Figure 2 and Table 2.

Figure 2. Share of shrimp landings by fisheries (1992-93)

Table 2: Trend of shrimp/prawn catches in Bangladesh: Live-weight in M.T.

Source-wise catch of shrimp/prawn
F.Y.	Marine capture			Coastal aquaculture	Fresh water capture	Country Total
	Trawler catch	Artisanal catch	Total
1983-84	4,500	7,520	12,020	4,386	41,250	57,656
1984-85	3,140	8,760	11,900	7,578	40,069	59,547
1985-86	4,031	3,550	7,581	14,658	53,085	75,324
1986-87	4,488	10,666	15,154	14,773	40,945	70,872
1987-88	3,545	11,535	15,000	17,889	36,386	69,355
1988-89	4,893	12,211	17,104	18,235	42,824	78,163
1989-90	3,117	12,751	15,868	18,624	36,284	70,776
1990-91	3,696	13,937	17,633	19,489	43,262	80,384
1991-92	2,902	17,140	20,042	20,335	46,500	86,877
1992-93	4,188	19,045	23,233	23,530	53,520	1,01,025

Source: DOF/GOB.

3. SPECIES COMPOSITION

3.1 Freshwater fish landings by species/groups
3.2 Marine fish landing by species/groups
3.3 Product forms

Unlike the cold countries, the aquatic living resources of Bangladesh, including marine and freshwater fish, consist of highly multispecies fauna due to the tropical climate. As many as 475 species (Hussain, 1972) are known to exist in the Bangladesh waters of the Bay of Bengal and 260 freshwater species of fish have so far been identified inland (Rahman 1989). About 60 species of prawn and shrimp are known to exist in Bangladesh. Of these species 37 freshwater and 42 seawater finfish and ten freshwater and six seawater shrimp and prawn species exist in large commercial quantities and are available for domestic as well as export marketing.

3.1 Freshwater fish landings by species/groups

The major species of Figure 3. Species/Groupwise landing of inland fish freshwater fish are the local (1991-92) major carps, such as Labeo rohita (Ruhi), Catla catla (Katal), Cirrhina marigala (Mrigel), Labeo calbasu (Kansi/Kalibaush) and Labeo gonius (Gonia), and the exotic carps, such as Hypophthalmicthys molitrix (Silver carp), Ctenopharyngodon idella (Grass carp) and Cyprinus carpio (Common carp).

The exotic carp have had a good market in Bangladesh during the last decade. Another exotic species is the Tilapia nilotica (Tilapia) which has emerged as an important species in the freshwaters of Bangladesh during the last 25 years or so. Other important groups of fish are Catfish (Pangasius pangasius), Mystes spp., Wallago attu, Omok spp. Notopterus chitald, Hilsa ilisha (River shad) and Anabus spp. (Climbing perch) and Snakehead. In 1991-92, the major species of groups of fish caught and marketed were carps (all types) 19%, Catfish 2.92%, Snakeheads 3.39%, livefish 4.43%, river Shads 9.67%, freshwater prawns 8.5% and mixed fish 28.72%. Species and groupwise catch of inland fish during 1989-90, 90-91 are shown in Table 3 and Figure 3.

Figure 3. Species/Groupwise landling of inland fish (1991-92)

Table 3: Species/groupwise tending of Inland fish

Species/Group	1989-90		1990-91		1991-92
	M.T.	%	M.T.	%	M.T.	%
Major Carps	103,606	12.11	120,178	13.41	140,957	14.81
Other Carps	14,458	1.69	16,473	1.84	9,875	1.04
Exotic Carps	16,903	1.98	24,858	2.77	30,197	3.17
Cat-fish	26,715	3.12	30,361	3.39	27,788	2.92
Snake-heads	17,034	1.99	25,625	2.86	32,306	3.39
Live-Fish	37,397	4.37	39,015	4.35	42,215	4.43
F.W. Hilsa	112,408	18.24	66,809	10.21	68,356	9.67
Other inland	233,035	27.24	268,327	29.95	273,534	28.70
Prawns	54,908	6.41	62,751	7.00	81,377	8.50
Total	616,464	72.06	654,397	73.04	706,605	74.22

3.2 Marine fish landing by species/groups

The major species or groups of seawater fish are Hilsa ilisha, H. kanagurta, Hilsa toli, Harpodon nehereus (Bombay Duck), Polynemus indicus (Indian Salmon), Stromateus Cinereus (Silver pomfret), Stromateus Chinensis (Chinese pomfret) and Parastromateus niger (Black pomfret), Johnius spp. (Jewfish), Tachysurus spp. (Sea catfish) and sharks, skates and rays. The major seawater species of fish landed during FY 1991-92 was Hilsa (Sea-shad), comprising 12.60% of the total national production of both inland and marine fish. In terms of seafish, it consisted of 49% of total marine fish landed during the same period. Species and groupwise catch and marketing of seawater fish during 1989-90, 90-91 and 91-92 are shown in Table 4.

Table 4: Species/group-wise landing of marine fish

Species/Group	1989-90		1990-91		1991-92
	M.T.	%	M.T.	%	M.T.	%
Sea Hilsa	113,943	13.31	115,358	12.87	120,106	12.61
Bombay duck	18,338	2.14	19,209	2.14	19,197	2.02
Indian Salmon	1,206	0.14	974	0.11	2,138	0.22
Pomfret	3,386	0.40	3,922	0.44	3,357	0.35
Jew fish	10,579	1.24	9,759	1.09	11,576	1.22
Sea Catfish	10,833	1.27	11,820	1.32	11,106	1.17
Sharks, Skates & Rays	2,782	0.33	3,266	0.36	4,008	0.42
Other marine fish	62,106	7.26	59,897	6.65	53,944	5.67
Marine shrimps	15,868	1.86	17,633	1.96	20,042	2.10
Total Marine Fish	239,063	27.94	241,538	26.96	245,474	25.78

3.3 Product forms

People in Bangladesh generally prefer freshfish (without icing), which is available in all rural areas and in towns or cities with adjacent rivers, canals, beels, haors, aquaculture farms and ponds. The next preference is for iced fish. Fish is iced in consideration of transportation space and time. If the transportation time is less than 4-6 hours from catching to retail point, the fish is not iced or, if iced, it is not done properly. Other forms of fish products are frozen, salted, sundried, salted and dried, salted and dehydrated, smoked and canned fish and fishmeal for the poultry farms.

According to FAO (BOBP, 1985), the percentage of fish product forms was 30% freshfish, 40% iced, 20% sundried, and around 10% frozen, salted, smoked, canned and mealed for poultry. This situation has changed considerably with the industrial development of freezing plants, cold storages, frozen storages, ice-plants and dehydrated facilities and with the addition of more deepsea trawlers and mechanized boats. All trawlers and mechanized boats now use ice for preserving fish. Deepsea trawlers land about 10,000 MT of frozen shrimp and fish and mechanized boats land 122,935 MT, almost all properly iced. In the absence of any specific survey, our estimates of fish product forms are as follows for 1991-92 fish production.

4. CONSUMPTION AND DEMAND

4.1 Per capita consumption
4.2 Domestic consumption
4.3 Domestic demand
4.4 Shortfall

4.1 Per capita consumption

The per capita consumption of fish and shellfish as human food in South Asian countries (1980-82) and in European countries (1982 and 1985) is shown in Table 5.

Table 5: Per capita consumption in South Asian & European Countries

South Asian Countries (1980-82)		European Countries (1982 and 1985)
Name of country	kg/capita	Name of country	kg/capita
			1982	1985
1. Malaysia	47.6	1. Spain	29.6	25.4
2. Philippines	33.4	2. France	18.2	17.5
3. Singapore	32.6	3. U. K.	15.5	15.0
4. Thailand	20.2	4. Belgium	12.4	11.8
5. Sri Lanka	14.9	5. The Netherlands	7.9	10.4
6. Burma	14.5	6. Italy	6.8	8.1
7. Indonesia	11.8	7. F. R. Germany	6.0	6.4
8. Vietnam	11.4
9. Bangladesh	7.5
10. Laos	5.2
11. India	3.2
12. Pakistan	2.3

4.2 Domestic consumption

Domestic consumption of fish and shellfish as human food in Bangladesh was about 12 kg per annum in 1962-63. But due to the population explosion and man-made causes, total fish production declined from 1975-76 till 1985-86, resulting in reduced per capita consumption. Per capita consumption of fish in Bangladesh during different periods is shown in Table 6.

Table 6: Per capita consumption of fish in Bangladesh (1962-94)

F.year	Per capita consumption
	gms/day	kg/annum
1962-63	33	12.00
1974-75	28	10.00
1982-83	18	7.00
1985-86	21	7.60
1991-92	23	8.40
1993-94	24	8.80

4.3 Domestic demand

As against the per capita consumption shown in Tables 5 and 6 and the world average of 12 kg, it is very difficult to determine as to what should be the per capita demand of fish in Bangladesh. There is no denying the fact that the people in Bangladesh are very fond of fish and rice. The optimum demand may be considered as 25 kg/annum. But it is not possible to achieve such a target within the next few years. Assuming the present world average per capita consumption of 12 kg and Asian average of 25 kg as being applicable for Bangladesh, the demand for fish is estimated as follows (Table 7).

Table 7: Demand of fish & shell fish for Bangladesh

A.	At the average rate of 12kg/annum/capita: (which was the exact per capita consumption of fish in Bangladesh in 1962-63)	1.44m.MT
	120m. people x 12 kg/capita/annum
B.	At the rate of Asian average of 25 kg/annum/capita:	3.00m. MT
	120m. people x 25 kg/capita/annum

4.4 Shortfall

Though Bangladesh produces a huge quantity of fish annually, its large and growing population has revealed a large short-fall of about 2m MT of fish and fishery products. This is demonstrated as follows:

On proposion-A above, the shortfall on 1993-94 catch level: 0.35 m MT:

On proposion-B above, the shortfall on 1993-94 catch level: 1.90 m MT:

5. DOMESTIC MARKETING SITUATION

5.1 Overall fish marketing situation
5.2 Marketing systems offish trade
5.3 Major fish markets and landing centres
5.4 Trade flow
5.5 Marketing channels
5.6 Marketing margins
5.7 Existing auction systems

5.1 Overall fish marketing situation

As there is a big gap between supply and demand, fish marketing or, in other words, selling of fish is very easy domestically. All types of fish - high cost or low cost - are easily sold due to the presence of a heterogeneous mixture of buyers. High cost fish like Carps, Catfish, Livefish from inland waters and pomfrets, Indian Salmon, Snappers, Grunters and Eels, are either sold to the affluent or are processed for export. Mixed fish are usually sold to the vast majority of the people, those of the low income group. Due to high domestic and international demand, the prices of exportable species have increased a few folds.

The fish markets and the marketing of fish are generally conducted by fish traders, either individually or as groups, or Fish Traders' Associations or Fishermen's Cooperative Societies. Almost all fish markets operated by them are ill-managed, unhygienic and unscientific. There is no proper handling, washing, cleaning, icing or re-icing of the fish. They care very little for post-harvest management of the resource, being more interested in earning more revenue at the cost of the fishermen and the consumers. Most fish markets managed by fish traders in cities, district towns and rural areas have no modern infrastructural facilities, not even overhead covering. In the villages, fish is directly landed on the soil and in bamboo baskets and sold by auction, before being transported to cities/towns for retailing.

City markets built by the Municipal Corporations/Municipalities offer better facilities, but are not managed according to any standards. Municipal fish markets are usually a part of the general market. The Local Government Ministry is now constructing small fish markets in the rural areas of Bangladesh through the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). These provide better facilities for rural fish marketing. There is no special or modern fish landing centres run by the municipalities or by the private sectors.

The BFDC (Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation) is the only organization which has constructed modern fish harbours and fish landing centres in such coastal areas as Chittagong, Cox's Bazaar, Barisal, Khepupara, Patharghata and Khulna. It has also constructed commercial fresh fish landing centres in Rangamati, Kaptai, Rajshahi and Daborghat. These landing centres provide modem and hygienic facilities for the fishermen and fish traders and there are facilities for berthing, landing, auctioning, cold storage, freezer storage, and transport. Post-harvest resource-management is properly taken care of only in these centres. But fishermen and fish traders are not very interested in utilizing these modem facilities due to ignorance and self-interest. As a result, fish landing centres in Barisal, Khepupara and Patharghata have not been started as planned.

5.2 Marketing systems offish trade

Four levels of markets or marketing systems are observed in the distribution channel of fish trade (Figure 4). These are the primary secondary, higher secondary and final consuming markets

Primary market

This is a marketing place at the catching point, usually in a rural area. Fish collectors/assemblers, commonly known as mahajans or aratdar/mahajans procure fish from the catchers, with the help of local brokers called dalals who get a profit margin or commission from the mahajan. Part of the catch is also locally sold by the catcher/farmer or by local retailers.

Secondary market

The collectors bring the fish from the primary market to the landing ghats, usually to the nearest thana market or at a place well linked by rivers, road or rail transport. The mahajans sell the fish here to the distributors known as beparies, generally with the help of the aratdars, the commission agents.

Higher secondary market

The beparies transport the fish to the nearest city/town markets by road, rail or boat. These are the main distribution markets and here the beparies sell the fish to another set of distributors known as paikars, again with the help of aratdars.

Final consuming markets

On purchasing the fish from the higher secondary market, the paikars sell the fish to the retailers. There are two channels of retailing - the urban retailers sell the fish in the urban markets in permanent stalls or set out with the fish on their heads or in tricycle (rickshaw) vans, to sell them at homes. Other retailers take the fish to suburban places or to the villages around the city/town.

Figure 4. Four Levels of Fish Markets In Bangladesh

In the course of marketing at all these levels, the collector or distributor carries out the function of handling, cleaning, sorting, icing, preservation and transportation at his cost as far as possible. Expenses on such accounts are deducted from the bills of sellers.

5.3 Major fish markets and landing centres

Major coastal fish landing centres are located at Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Teknaf, Shahparir Dhip, Kutubdia, Hatiya, Sandip, Sitakunda, Laxmipur, Hajimara, Ramgati, Bhola, Dauladia, Charfesson, Patuakhali, Galachipa, Khepupara, Mohipur/Kuakata, Barguna, Patharghata, Khulna, Bagerhat, Parerhat, Satkhira, Barisal and Chandpur (Figure 5). Most of the catches from the Bay of Bengal are landed at these centres and Hilsa is the main species landed.

Major inland fish landing centres are located at Bhairab Bazar, Kuliarchar, Sylhet, Daudkandi, Choumohini, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Narshingdi, Bhayggokul, Minshigonj, Nilcomol, Chandpur, Goalunda, Madaripur and Faridpur. Carps and catfish are the main species landed at these centres.

Major floodplain haors, baors, beels and lake fish landing centres are located at Joykalash (Sunamganj), Azmeriganj, Mohonganj, Netrokona and Kishorganj, Bonwarinagar (Pabna), Cour Chandpur, Bergopindapur, Joydia, Kaligonj and Rangamati and Kaptai.

5.4 Trade flow

Trade flow, or movement of marine fish for domestic consumption, originates from Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Barisal, Khulna, Bagerhat, Parerhat, Chandpur and many other coastal landing centres. After meeting local needs, the surplus fish is sent to the major markets of Dhaka, Sylhet, Rajshahi and other markets.

Figure 5. Major fish landing centres in Bangladesh

5.5 Marketing channels

Almost all fish traded for the domestic market passes through the channels described in 5.2. The market structure varies from area to area, but in general terms is as illustrated in Figure 4.

While the four levels of markets are the normal trade channels, there are sometimes variations between locations and types of fishermen. Sometimes fishermen/fish farmers bypass these channels and sell fish directly to the secondary markets, this being most commonly practised by the mechanized boat operators at the coastal fish landing centres.

5.6 Marketing margins

The fishermen's share and marketing margins in fish sold in Dhaka and Pabna in 1981 were analyzed for freshwater fish like Hilsa (River shad), Ruhi (Carps) and Singhi (Heteropneustes fossiles) by Ahmed (1983) and the following were the results:

Fishermen's share in consumer price:	51-63%
Middlemen's share in consumer price:	37-49%
Expenses:	12-24%
Net income after expenses:	24-26%
Share of collectors:	14-35%
Share of distributor:	16-20%
Share of retailer:	5-10%

The fishermen's share and marketing margins of marine fish sold in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar were as follows:

Fishermen's share:		60-63%
Middlemen's share:		40-37%
Breakdown of middlemen's margin:
	- Marketing costs:	21.7-22.2%
	- Quality/weight loss:	1.6%
	- Net income:	13.3-16.1%

5.7 Existing auction systems

Most of the auctioning in Bangladesh is carried out by auctioneers locally called aratdars. They follow the price incremental system.

As soon as the fishermen land the fish in the market, the aratdar takes care of landing, handling, sorting and auctioning by species and size-groups. Even though the open-bidding system is the most prevalent one, there are other types of price-fixation systems followed by some traders' associations in some selected markets. In general, the sales systems are as follows:

Open bids

Auctioneers call out the bid by the bidders loudly in the presence of the buyers. The incremental system is followed. It is the most competitive form of auctioning and ensures better prices for fishermen. It takes place at all levels of fish marketing, excepting retailing. The auctioneer gets a 3-5% commission on sales value plus his actual expenses.

Syndicate-controlled price fixing

In fish landing centres in the coastal areas, especially in Cox's Bazar, Chittagong and Barisal, the private auctioneers in some markets have formed associations called 'syndicates', which fix the prices of fish either in the evening or on the next day, after disposing of local demand. They send the excess fish, properly iced and packed, to distant landing city/district markets to another set of local aratdars, who receive the fish and auction it locally. The fishermen, thus, do not know, nor are they able to know, what the auction value is for their fish, neither do the buyers know the beach price. After disposal of the fish, the inland aratdar sends information about the prices obtained to the auctioneers at the landing centres. The latter sit together and fix prices as they wish. This system works on faith and mutual trust only. The fishermen is bound to follow the system, since he is tied to the auctioneer by credit given to him. There is plenty of room for malpractices in this system.

Limited bidding

In this system, the auctioneer fixes the price by negotiation or partial bidding, usually in the absence of the seller. The auctioneer does not make loud calls, but he whispers prices in the ears of the intending buyers present. He then decides the highest price and awards the fish to the so-called highest bidder. This system is also faulty. But since both seller and buyer are tied to each other by advances or credit, there can be no protest.

Through tender

In case of trawler catch, the owners sometimes sell the fish through tender.

In smaller landing centres, or production areas, fish is also sold by negotiation between the local buyer and seller. Retail prices are always fixed by negotiation in the private sector. In Department Stalls, however, prices are fixed.

6. MARKETING INFRASTRUCTURE

6.1 Landing facilities and wholesale fish markets
6.2 Retail markets
6.3 Ice-plants and cold-storage
6.4 Freezing plants and frozen storage (shore-based)
6.5 Trawler-based shrimp processing plants

6.1 Landing facilities and wholesale fish markets

Landing facilities and wholesale fish markets are not well developed throughout the country. Inland fish landing centres are entirely run by the private sector and this sector runs coastal landing centres in many places, too. These centres are not developed due to the indifference of the private sector.

The Government of Bangladesh, through its Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock and the BFDC, has established a fish harbour in 1972 for deep sea trawlers of 80-100' length. It has also established a modem fish landing centre with Japanese assistance in Chittagong for the 2000-3000 strong mechanized fishing fleet, operating from the Chittagong area. This centre started operation in August 1994, and about 45,000 tonnes of fish is expected to be landed here. BFDC also established fish landing centres at Cox's Bazar, Khulna, Barisal, Khepupara and Patharghata along the coast and at Rangamati, Kaptai, Rajshahi and Daborghat (Sylhet) inland. More modem fish landing centres and wholesale fish markets are planned by Government.

Fishermen's cooperative societies also run a major fish landing centre in Chittagong, but it has neither modem nor hygienic facilities.

Fish landing centres run by the fish traders are of very poor standard and need improvement. In most cases there are no auction sheds, no packing sheds and no landing terminals, no gangways, no pontoons and no proper drainage or hygienic facilities.

Wholesale fish markets in almost all cities and towns are operated by the concerned municipalities under the Ministry of Local Government. The state of landing and wholesaling facilities in the municipal markets are generally inadequate for handling a highly perishable commodity like fish.

6.2 Retail markets

In major cities like Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi, as well as in the district towns, the retail markets are managed by the municipalities. Conditions in these markets too are not adequate in respect of sales areas, parking, sanitation, water-supply, drainage, cleaning and washing and maintenance and repairs. A few new markets are however, an exception. The BFDC runs a modern fish distribution and retail centre in Dhaka city with half a dozen modern fish shops and fifty rickshaw vans which sell fish from door to door in Dhaka city. A few modern retail fish shops have also been established by private sector entrepreneurs in Dhaka.

6.3 Ice-plants and cold-storage

There has been much improvement in the ice supply situation during the last few years. Many ice-plants have been established in Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Khulna, Barisal, Khepupara, Patharghata and other small fish landing areas along the coast. The number of ice-plants with their daily production capacity, in the major fish landing centres are listed below (1993 figures):

Name of centre	Nos.	Capacity/day
Chittagong Cox's Bazar	68	1055MT
	30	642 MT
Barisal Patuakhali	39	1654MT
Khulna	60	660 MT
Bagerhat	21	180MT
Mongla	05	34 MT
Parerhat	04	55 MT

Most mechanized fishing boats carry ice with them to land fish properly iced. There is no dearth of ice-supply in these centres for the marine fish. During bumper Hilsa catches, which coincides with the full-moon and the dead-moon periods (a short period of 3-4 days at a time during the monsoon months or May to October every year) shortage of ice sometimes occurs. The average price per block of ice weighing about 140 kg varies from Taka 40.00 to Tk 100.00 (US $ 1.00-2.50) depending on fish landing intensity. The average price is around Tk. 600.00 (US $ 15) per tonne. The BFDC has established 14 ice plants in its ten coastal fish landing centres with a daily ice-making capacity of 260 tonnes (210 tonne block ice + 50 tonnes flake ice) a chill room capacity of 615 MT, and an ice-storage capacity of 670 MT. Cold storage for ice and chilled fish have not received proper attention from the private sector.

6.4 Freezing plants and frozen storage (shore-based)

Bangladesh has developed a big shrimp processing industry. There were 115 processing plants by 1993-94, having a total daily capacity of 800 MT of shrimp or fish (approximately 180,000 MT annually on the basis of 220 days of operation a year). As against this installed capacity, shrimps for export amount to only around 40,000 MT live-weight or about 25,000 MT headless weight. Capacity utilization for shrimp freezing was only 19 per cent in 1992-93. As a result, most shrimp processing plants are either lying idle or have diversified into finfish processing and freezing for export and domestic marketing. Of the 115 plants only four are in the public sector (BFDC) and have a daily freezing capacity of 51 MT (49 blast freezing +12 MT plate freezing and 1380 MT of frozen storage capacity). BFDC plants are mainly used as service facilities by the private sector exporters. Growth of processing plants and its utilization is shown in Figure 6 and 7.

Figure 6. Growth of Processing Plants in Bangladesh

Figure 7. Capacity utilization of shore-based Processing Plants (%)

6.5 Trawler-based shrimp processing plants

Deep shrimp trawlers were introduced in 1979. By 1994, the fleet grew to 48 shrimp trawlers with a daily freezing capacity of 108 MT. These trawlers catch over 4000 MT of marine shrimp annually. Of the 48 shrimp trawlers, only two belong to the public sector (BFDC). There are also four white fish trawlers belonging to the BFDC as against 16 in the private sector.

7. THE ROLE OF PUBLIC FISH MARKETING ORGANIZATIONS

7.1 BFDC's role in fish landing and marketing

There is no specific public fish marketing organization in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation, established in 1964, is the only such organization. Its functions are:

- To take all measures necessary for the development of the fisheries and fishing industry of Bangladesh.

- To establish a fishing industry.

- To establish units for the capture of fish and promote a better organization for exploitation of fish wealth.

- To establish units for preservation, processing, distribution and marketing of fish and fish products.

- To undertake surveys and investigations of fisheries.

- To set up organizations for the export of fish and fishery products.

- To establish institutes or make arrangements for training and research in the methods of catching, processing, transportation, preservation and marketing of fish.

- To advance loans to fishing industries and to fishermen.

The BFDC, under its mandate, has carried out the following activities.

Industrial

- Introduction of deep sea trawlers;
- Mechanization of gillnet boats;
- Introduction of minitrawlers;
- Netmaking industries;
- Docking and slipways for fishing trawlers;
- Processing and preservation plants;
- Freshwater fish culture in lakes and large waterbodies;
- Fish meal and shrimp feed production;
- Fish drying;
- Shark liver oil extraction.

Infrastructural

- Establishment of fish harbour, fish landing centres and wholesale fish markets;
- Establishment of ice plants and cold storages;
- Establishment of freezing plants;
- Boatbuilding;
- Fishnet making;
- Training of manpower;
- Establishment of the marine fisheries academy.

Marketing of fish and fishery products

- Marketing of freshwater fish;
- Marketing and introduction of seafish to inland population;
- Marketing of ice, fishing nets, fishmeal, shark liver oil etc.
- Export of shrimp and fish.

In the course of implementing its various projects, BFDC helped develop deepsea fishing and coastal fishing by setting up freezing plants and improving the quality of fish landings, handling and marketing. BFDC's has been the power in the country of modem domestic cold-chain marketing.

7.1 BFDC's role in fish landing and marketing

Landing of fish

BFDC plays a vital role in the qualitative landing of fish, by helping the private sector fishermen and fish traders to use its modem facilities. About 8638 MT (3.3%) of seafish were landed through BFDC's three coastal landing centres at Cox's Bazar, Khulna and Chittagong in 1994-95. In August '94, "The Fish Landing, Preservation and Distribution Project' was commissioned at Monoharkhali, Chittagong, at a cost of Tk. 550 m (US $ 15 m) with Japanese grant assistance. This landing project is a most modem one with 24-hour landing arrangements, and preservation and distribution facilities. It can handle about 45,000 MT of fish annually. Two other modern fish landing centres are likely to start operation at Barisal and Patharghata very soon. When all these five BFDC marine fish landing centres come into full operation, about 77,000 MT of marine fish (30% of seafish) will be landed annually through modem and hygienic fish landing centres. BFDC also landed and marketed 5200 MT of freshwater fish in 1994-95 from the Kaptai Lake fishery through its two landing centres at Rangmati and Cox's Bazar.

Direct fish marketing

BFDC operates direct fish marketing in a limited manner. It sells its trawler catch to fish traders directly. It also sells its share of freshwater fish from its Kaptai Lake and Dhaka City waterbodies (D.N.D. and Gulshan Lakes) projects traders in Dhaka. It also buys fish from Government aquaculture projects in Jessore District (ox-bow lake projects). Recently, it has begun to procure fish from private sector aquaculture farms and fish traders.

BFDC stocks frozen fish during peak season in its four freezing plants and stores for the holy month of Ramadhan and also for the lean season when fish is scarce. The purpose of this temporary stocking is to intervene if there are unusual price-hikes by fish traders, specially in the capital, Dhaka, which has population of about 8 million.

BFDC has been operating a retail marketing operation in Dhaka city from 1976-77. This operation supplies quality fish at fair prices to Government employees and fixed and low income groups of people in the city through five retail outlets and about 30 rickshaw vans. In 1993-94, it sold about 275 MT of fish through its retail chain in Dhaka City.

Production and sale of fish by-products

BFDC produces fishmeal, shark liver oil and crushed shells for the poultry industry. About 1000 MT of these products are directly sold every year. It also produces dried shark fins, fish maws, dried fish and salted and dehydrated fish for export.

New product development and marketing

BFDC has developed a range of ready-to-cook and eat frozen fish products from minced fish caught by its trawlers. These products are: Fish burgers, Fish fingers. Fish cake. Fish cutlets, Fish balls and Minced blocks. These products have met with a good response from consumers. This technology is ready to be transferred to the private sector.

Export of shrimp and fishery products

BFDC is a small processor and exporter of shrimp caught by its shrimp trawlers. It also exports seafish and freshwater fish to international markets. BFDC's processing and freezing facilities are offered to private packers, non-packers and exporters for the promotion of exports.

Sales of ice

BFDC produces and sells over 30,000 MT of ice annually to the private sector fishermen as part of its utility services at fish landing centres. Unlike the private ice manufacturers who often produce ice from running water, BFDC always makes it from safe water from deep tubewells, to ensure hygienic ice for fish.

Marketing of fishing nets

BFDC produces and sells over 200,000 kg of fishing nets produced in its three fishnet factories at Chittagong, Mongla and Comilla. These are offered at competitive prices to the fishermen annually.

BFDC's marketing achievements

BFDC has attempted to influence the marketing of fish in two ways:

- It has adapted a promotional and developmental role, by providing facilities for use by the private sector with a view to improving marketing efficiency. Its facilities, which are well-designed and hygienic, land quality fish for both the domestic and export markets.

- BFDC has adapted a commercial role by marketing fish and fishery products, ice fishing nets, by providing docking and repairing facilities to the private sector fishing vessels, by aquaculture, etc. in competition with the private sector. It has been making operational profits all through. Simultaneously some of its commercial projects have brought benefits by virtue of its innovatory aspects such as:

- It has taught inland people the benefits of buying seafish.

- It has taught fishermen how to handle, preserve and ice fish for transportation over long periods.

- It has taught the private sector how to freeze and store fish for long, for export as well as for the lean seasons in the domestic market.

- It has introduced new fish products such as Fish fingers, Fish burgers, Fish balls, Fish cakes and Fish cutlets, which may open a new dimension in the export of value-added fish products by the private sector in the near future.

8. THE ROLE OF COOPERATIVES IN FISH MARKETING

There are in Bangladesh about 4500 primary cooperative societies of fishermen, mainly in the marine fisheries sector, with a total membership of 5,37,224 (BOBP, 1985). There are 88 intermediary area societies also. All are registered with the national apex organization, Bangladesh Jatiya Matshyajibi Samabaya Samaty (BJMSS). The main source of funding for the cooperatives comes from Government loans and credits from Japan, Denmark and few other countries. These funds are mainly used for the mechanization of boats and acquisition of fishing gear and accessories.

Fishermen's cooperative societies have not been active in fish marketing. Rather, they have helped to turn many fishermen into fish auctioneers, through the benefits of mechanization of boats. There are several socioeconomic and sociocultural factors which discourage the poorer fishermen from marketing activities.

Despite all the failures in the past in fish marketing by the co-operatives, Government continues to encourage them through NGOs. The approach emphasizes awareness-building, organizational skill development and some credit.

9. ACCESS TO CREDIT

Credit plays a vital role in the development of the fishery industry and fish marketing in Bangladesh, as in many other countries. The Government of Bangladesh as recently declared the fishery sector, including aquaculture, as an 'industry'. All fish farmers, processors, ice-plant owners and fish traders are now treated equally with industrialists and can get bank loans on easy terms just like any other industry. The major credit flows to the fishery industrial sector is from the undermentioned banks. Projects get credit to the extent of 70-80 per cent as against 20-30 per cent collateral.

Government Banks:	Bangladesh Bank, Sonali Bank, Bangladesh Krishi Bank, Bangladesh Shilpa bank, Bangladesh Shilpa Rin Sangstha, Agrani Bank, Janata Bank.
Multi-national financing institutions, like:
	:SABINCO (Saudi Bangladesh Investment Co.) DANIDA, NORAD, SIDA, CIDA, World Bank, ADV and IFAD.
	:Multinational Banks: Grindlay's Bank, Islamic Development Bank and Arab Bangladesh Bank.
Private banks, like:	National Bank, City Bank and BCCI Bank.

It is usually only the fishery industrialists, the educated and the new entrepreneurs who have access to such bank loans. The poor fisherman or the small fish trader has no access to such bank loans, because:

- He is, in most cases, illiterate and so does not like to sign any paper regarding bank loans.

- He has nothing to offer as collateral.

- He is a floating person. Hence, bank officials are not interested in giving him loans because of insecurity in recovering the loans.

- He does not get a bank loan when he really needs it.

- There is a lack of business relationship and faith between him and the bank officials.

- The interest rates are high in the banks.

It is due to these reasons that the fisherman and the small fish trader approach the middleman - usually a rich fish trader (aratdar) - for loans. The fisherman, small fish trader or retailer prefers to take loans from aratdars because:

- He has a long-standing business relationship with the aratdar.

- He gets long-term and short-term advances as and when required by him.

- He does not have to pay any interest to the aratdar; He has only to bind himself, by faith, to sell buy the fish only through/from the aratdar.

- The aratdar helps to rehabilitate him quickly, in the case of any loss or damage to his inputs, like boats, nets etc.

The poor fisherman or the retailer thinks that he is benefitted, but it is the aratdar who is the greater beneficiary. He may not charge interest directly, but he makes the double profit, from both the seller and the buyer, unknown to them.

The aratdar carries on his business as a fish trader as well as a financier. He is much more efficient because of his human relationship with his clients. He also benefits due to the failure of cooperative societies to help its members with credits. We feel it will be almost impossible to break this system in Bangladesh in the near future or even in the long-term. It is to be hoped that the Grameen Bank (rural bank), which has made a major breakthrough in providing supervisory credit to the rural people in agricultural, fisheries and livestock, small-scale cottage industries, and in small business and artisanal activities, will come forward to help the fishermen and small fish traders.

10. SOCIOECONOMIC ASPECTS OF FISH TRADE

10.1 Socioeconomic development
10.2 Gender aspects

10.1 Socioeconomic development

There is no denying the fact that fishermen and the fishing community as a whole-form the poorest and most disadvantaged group of Bangladesh society. Fishermen's villages are mostly located in inaccessible areas, where there is little communication, developmental or social impact. They have no other activities except fishing, which cannot be carried out throughout the year, and in the idle periods, they lack alternative employment opportunities. Their socioeconomic development is negligible.

In other sectors of fisheries development, such as the deep sea trawling industry, mechanized fishing and the fish processing industry, the socioeconomic development is conspicuous, as the fishermen or fish traders, are either literate or have adapted to the developmental aspects and skills of the concerned industry.

10.2 Gender aspects

In Bangladesh, fishing activities are carried out almost entirely by males. Women in fisherfolk communities are concerned only with helping the fishermen in preparations for their trips and in helping them to dispose of the fish. In the inland fish trade, the coastal areas of Chittagong, some women belonging to Scheduled Caste Hindu fishermen's families, engage in smallscale fish trading or retailing. In the families of fishermen using non-mechanized craft, the women make and repair fishing nets and dry and cure fish.

In the fish processing industry, women are employed in large numbers to clean, wash, sort, grade and pack fish. They are found to be more punctual, attentive and sincere in their duties. The processing industry employs over 5000 women for these purposes. Many women are also employed in fish technology, microbiology and management sections of the processing industry. A few women have taken up aquaculture as a profession.

11. PRICE POLICY

There is no price policy fixed by the Government or the fisheries cooperatives or the trade associations. The price is influenced by the supply and demand situation.

In general, fish prices have been increasing faster than prices of other commodities. In 1972 the average auction price of all seafish caught by BFDC trawlers was TK. 2.00. This increased to Tk.12.00 in 1980 and to TK.22.00 in 1993. Prices during the last ten years have almost doubled. Compared to fish prices, prices of agricultural products have not registered such high rises. For instance, rice price has risen in the past 22 years from Tk. 2.00 in 1972 to Tk. 12.00 per kg in 1993. The fish price-hike has also been enhanced to a great extent by the ever-increasing volume of exports.

12. EXISTING QUALITY STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC MARKETING

There are no separate quality control measures for domestic marketing of fish in Bangladesh. The Department of Fisheries (DOF) is responsible for quality control under the Fish Inspection and Quality Control Services, which issues certificates to processors for export purposes.

There are three independent quality control laboratories under the DOF - at Chittagong, Dhaka and Khulna. These are the biggest landing centres for shrimp and fish. The main purpose of these laboratories is to analyze the end products for exports, mainly based on microbiological and chemical tests. Quality control at landing, handling, distribution and marketing places are also periodically carried out. The same quality standards are not practised for domestic marketing.

13. FUTURE OF DOMESTIC MARKETING

The main problems of the fish marketing that exist in Bangladesh are:

- The isolated locations of the fishing communities from their wholesale fish markets and landing centres, coupled with poor transportation and lack of ice.

- Ignorance or lack of awareness of quality needs in fish and ways of overcoming them.

Solutions to these major problems will involve huge amounts of money and a strong political will. However, the Government of Bangladesh has undertaken, and is in the process of undertaking, more and more infrastructural projects in the rural areas and in the fishing communities, building roads, landing centres in the coastal belts, improving wholesale fish markets in the cities and control systems at landing, handling, distribution stages are also under consideration by the Government in order to improve quality standards and control post-harvest losses.

14. EXPORTS AND REGIONAL TRADE

14.1 Composition of export value of frozen foods and other fishery products
14.2 Major export markets for frozen shrimp and prawn

Exports of frozen shrimp, fish and frog'slegs and other fishery products was a non-traditional and negligible item at the time of the independence in 1971.

Table 8: Fishery exports and its growth

F.Y.	Total fishery exports in m. US $	Rate of growth
1972-73	4.49	100%
1974-75
1979-80	10.65	905.30%
1984-85	89.29	1988.60%
1989-90	146.61	3265.00%
1992-93	174.70	3890.90%
1993-94	221.98	4944.00%
1994-95	325.83	7257.00%

In 1972-73, the total export from this sector was only US $ 4.49 m which increased to US $ 221.98 m in 1993-94 and to US $ 326 m in 1994-95. The main items exported are frozen shrimp and prawn, frozen fish, frozen, frog'slegs (now banned), dry fish, salted and dehydrated fish, shark fins and fish maws, crabs and tortoise and turtles. Small quantities of cephalopods, like squids and cuttle fish, are also exported. This sector constituted 7.33 per cent of the national export in 1992-93. It stood third after readymade garments and knitwear, and jute and jute goods.

The rate of growth of exports of this sector has been spectacular - over 4900 per cent over the last two decades. The growth rate can best be illustrated in Table 8 and Figure 8.

Figure 8. Trend of export growth of fishery products (in US$)

Figure 9. Export value (%) of frozen shrimp and fish (1992-93)

14.1 Composition of export value of frozen foods and other fishery products

In 1992-93, the total exports from this sector amounted to US $ 180.22 m. Commodity-wise break up is given in Table 9 and Figure 9.

Table 9: Commodity-wise breakup of exports

	Value in million US$	% of composition
Total fishery exports	180.25	100.00%
A. Frozen foods	165.34	91.73%
i. Frozen shrimp	155.48	86.26%
ii. Frozen fish	9.86	5.47%
B. Other products	14.91	8.27%
i. Dry fish	3.15	1.75%
ii. Salted and dehydrated fish	2.53	1.40%
iii. Sharkfins and fish maws	3.67	2.04%
iv. Crabs	3.78	2.10%
v. Tortoise and turtles	1.78	0.98%

Figure 9. Export value (%) of frozen shrimp and fish (1992-93)

14.2 Major export markets for frozen shrimp and prawn

The major export markets during 1992-93 for frozen shrimp and prawn from Bangladesh were the U.S.A. (40.22%), EEC (33.50%), Japan (12.64%) and Germany (10.41%). Regional countries in the Asean/S.E. Asia area buy only 2.88% of this commodity. Market-share of frozen shrimp and prawn are shown in Table 10 and Figure 10.

Table 10: Major export markets for frozen shrimp and prawn (1992-93)

(Value in million US $)

F.Y.	Market share	USA	EU	Japan	Asean/FEA	Total
1991-92	US$	45.88	56.43	11.83	4.93	119.71
	%.	38.33	47,15	9.88	4.12	100%
1992-93	US$	62.50	68.27	19.65	4.48	155.48
	%	40.20	43.91	12.64	2.88	100%

Figure 10. Major export markets for frozen shrimp and prawn (1992-93)

15. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND INSPECTION OF FISH AND FISH PRODUCTS

15.1 Background information about quality assurance programmes
15.2 Fish inspection

15.1 Background information about quality assurance programmes

Bangladesh entered the fish processing and export industry in 1959, when the first processing plant was established in Chittagong by a private sector entrepreneur. In the following decade, 1960-1970, nine processing plants were established with total production capacity of 58 MT of processed fish per day. These plants mainly used freshwater giant prawn locally known as Golda Chingri (M. Rosenbergii). Prawns processed and frozen in these plants were exported to the USA and some European countries, like the U.K., Italy, France and Belgium.

These pioneering processors and exporters knew very little of quality control measures to be taken to meet the international standards. As a result; some consignments of frozen prawns were detained and rejected by the foreign buyers in 1967.

After these incidents, Government felt the necessity for establishing Fish Inspection and Quality Control Service (FIQC) in the country to regulate the quality of fish and shrimp meant for export. The Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) prepared a scheme entitled 'Establishment of Fish Inspection and

Quality Control Laboratories in Bangladesh' and this was approved by the GOB in 1976. The purpose of the scheme was to ensure steady development of frozen foods exports from the country by improving quality control and inspection systems. Under this scheme, two testing laboratories, one each at Chittagong and Khulna, were established. Each of these laboratories was headed by a Deputy Director empowered with the authority to issue preshipment salubrity certificates on the basis of inspection and laboratory examinations of export products. Before full commissioning these laboratories of medical colleges, the Cholera Research Institute and the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka. The FIQ programme in Bangladesh was initially launched as a voluntary and co-operative effort by Industry and Government to meet the requirements of foreign buyers and their respective health authorities.

In the meantime, blacklisting by the USFDA of frozen foods from Bangladesh, along with four other countries of Southeast Asia, became a serious problem for the fish export trade of the country. It faced heavy losses in the form of rejection and of relatively low prices offered by foreign buyers. Government soon realized that the existing manpower and ancillary facilities were not adequate for effective inspection and quality control. So a new project was put forward, to establish a better Inspection and Quality Control Service. The Project got its approval in 1979 and completed its fifth year of operation in 1984-85. This laid emphasis on the strengthening of the capabilities of the analytical laboratories along with provision for the appointment of inspectors, one deputy director, and a project director to co-ordinate the work in Chittagong, Dhaka and Khulna. Although the voluntary Quality Control Programme in Bangladesh started functioning in 1977, it got legal backing only in 1983, when Government enacted a comprehensive legislation entitled 'The Fish and Fish Products (Inspection and Quality Control) Ordinance, 1983'. The Ordinance came into force the same year and since then, all fish and fish products, either live or processed, exported from Bangladesh are subject to compulsory quality control and preshipment inspection. The rules relevant to the implementation of the Quality Control Ordinance were framed by the Government and are now in practice.

During the last 15 years, fish processing plants in the country registered an impressive growth of about four times, from 29 plants in 1980 to 115 in 1994. This has created tremendous pressure on the existing FIQC facilities and manpower. To cope with the present situation, another project, with financial assistance of ODA, has been submitted to Government for approval. The project will provide support for the establishment and implementation of programmes to upgrade quality control and inspection of exportable fish products in order to establish a level of international standard, confidence and goodwill for Bangladesh fish products through the introduction of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP).

15.2 Fish inspection

The Fish Inspection and Quality Control Service of the DOF, under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, has total responsibility for inspection and quality control of all fish and fish products meant for export as well as for sanitary and hygienic conditions in fish processing plants. The Inspectors of FIQC frequently inspect the fish processing plants and evaluate the processing units in respect of minimum sanitary and hygienic facilities required for good manufacturing practices. During in-plant inspection for assessment of plant standards, an inspector assesses the sanitation and cleanliness measures adopted in the factory by the personnel engaged in processing. He also assesses the quality of raw materials and final products in respect of dehydration, discoloration, texture, black spot, odour, weight, grade, presence of filth, objectionable materials, soft-shelled pieces, spoiled pieces, broken damaged pieces etc. Apart from inspection, the inspector collects representative samples at random for microbiological and chemical analysis in the laboratory. The export-worthiness of the product is judged on the basis of in-plant inspection and laboratory analysis reports. To obtain a pre-shipment salubrity certificate for any product, both the inspection and laboratory reports should conform to the standard specifications stipulated by the Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute (BSII) for the particular product.

16. QUALITY OF RAW MATERIALS

16.1 Harvesting and landing
16.2 Handling and transportation
16.3 Raw material collection system

16.1 Harvesting and landing

Since freshwater fish and shrimp as well as marine fish and shrimp are harvested, landing of fish is round the year and widely dispersed throughout the country. Artisanal methods are mainly employed to tap the resource and there are limited facilities for landing the catch. The main inland fish landing points are Goalunda, Kuliarchar, Ajmirigonj, Habigonj, Bhairab, Chandpur, Jessore and Kustia.

Marine coastal fishing in Bangladesh is seasonal. The peak season is during the calm weather from October to March. Almost 95 per cent of the total marine catch is harvested from nearshore waters by smallscale fishermen and only about five per cent is from the deepsea trawlers. The major landings of marine and estuarine catch take place at Chittagong, Pahartali, Sitakunda, Teknaf, Shahparirdwip, Barisal, Khulna, Cox's Bazar, Hatiya, Sandwip, Bhola, Hajimara, Charfession, Mohipur (Kuakata), Patharghata, Dublarchar, Bagerhat, Parerhat, Karerhat, Chandpur and Patuakhali.

The catches of cultured shrimp are landed at Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira, Paikgacha, Kaligonj, Chackoria, Teknaf, Cox's Bazar and Chittagong.

16.2 Handling and transportation

Road, rail and water transport are used to carry fish to distant places from landing/collecting centres. In case of marine transport, mechanized boats with insulated fish-holds are used. But on land, road transport is mainly used as it is considered safe and speedy. For fish to reach distant urban centres from the fishing grounds needs 7-9 days after catch. This is less than the normal shelf-life of many tropical species, even if handling and storing conditions are ideal. Packing materials include bamboo baskets, wooden boxes and hessian bags. Usually banana leaves, seal, hoglamat and hessian are used as insulating material and they create problems for the keeping quality of the raw material.

16.3 Raw material collection system

In practice fishermen or farmers have little chance to deliver their catch to the industry directly. The collection of raw materials for processing plants passes through private channels. The structure of these channels varies from area to area, but in general, can be divided as follows:

- Primary landing/collecting centre.
- Secondary landing/collecting centre.
- Higher secondary landing/collecting centre.
- Final stage of delivery to industry.

At all levels of the collection and distribution system there are groups of collectors who collect raw materials for the wholesalers or suppliers. Most of the landing, collecting and wholesale centres are neither properly equipped nor provided with adequate facilities for fish handling. The sanitary conditions are also not good enough to maintain the proper quality of fish. In most cases, there is no supply of clean water and ice. The facilities for preservation are also unsatisfactory. There are only four modem and hygienic fish landing centres - in Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Barisal and Khulna - all built by the public sector, but these are not enough to cope with the total landings.

17. QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEM OF SEAFOOD EXPORTS

17.1 Quality control system in the industry
17.2 Official quality control system
17.3 Modern concept of preventive quality control

17.1 Quality control system in the industry

Generally, fish is supplied by the bonafide suppliers or fish traders in bulk quantity or sometimes farmers or fishermen supply small quantities directly to the plants. So there is not much of control on raw material supplies from the harvesting point to the processing plants. Icing, separation, sorting, grading, etc., are done prior to receipt. In most cases sufficient care is not taken by the supplier from the time of catch to delivery of raw material at the plant's receiving counter and this offers possibilities for deterioration in quality.

The management of the plant engages some receiving graders under the control of a production supervisor or the plant administrator, who often interfere in the normal functions of the receiving process, pressing the receiving graders to accept defective goods in the interest of increased output. Due to scarcity of raw materials, this practice is quite common. Receiving shrimp with hanging meat, piece facility etc, provide grading defects in the final product.

Quality control of the fish or fisheries products is the responsibility of the production supervisor, who is directly responsible to the plant management. The control of quality in a small unit can be entrusted to an individual, but for a large unit, or when raw materials arrive in, a group of checkers is needed. Almost all fish processing plants line, the production controlled by a group of supervisors. Processing plants established in recent years are of international standard having the facilities of a smooth-flowing process line. But due to inadequate knowledge about plant sanitation and personal hygiene and negligence, the final product is not up to the mark.

To maintain the desired quality of the end product, a quality control unit in each individual plant is needed. In fact, there is no such unit, or department in many processing plants. But to fulfil the requirements of the consumers, mainly foreign buyers, it is essential for managements to set up in-plant quality control units.

17.2 Official quality control system

The idea of setting up a National Fish Inspection and Quality Control Organization was incorporated in the national plan after Independence. As the number of plants increased rapidly, the work of quality control became more and more difficult. Nevertheless, the Fish Inspection and Quality Control Service of DOF, under the MOFL, inspects all fish and fishery products meant for export and checks the sanitary and hygienic conditions in the processing plants.

The FIQC has three functioning laboratories, at Chittagong, Khulna and Dhaka. Its inspectors frequently inspect the fish processing plants to ensure that minimum sanitary and hygienic facilities exist in the fish processing plants. During a plant inspection, an inspector assesses the sanitation and cleanliness measures adopted in the factory and by the personnel engaged in processing. He also assesses the quality of raw materials and final products in respect of dehydration, discoloration, texture, black-spot odour, weight, grade, presence of objectionable materials, and soft-shelled, spoiled, broken or damaged pieces. Apart from inspection, the inspector collects representative samples at random for microbiological and chemical analysis in the laboratory. The export-worthiness of the product is judged on the basis of in-plant inspection reports and the laboratory analysis reports. To obtain a pre-shipment salubrity certificate for any product, both inspection and laboratory analysis reports should conform to the specifications stipulated by the Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute (BSII) for a particular product.

FIQC is responsible for promoting the fish processing industry by improving the quality of fresh fish products and ensuring better utilization of the country's fishery resources (marine, estuarine and freshwater). At present, the activity of the FIQC is limited only to the processing plants and laboratory, since most of the plants have no quality control programme of their own.

FIQC's programme for improvement of quality of raw materials from the catching and landing centres upto end products is being extended upto field level. Most of the newly installed fish processing plants are equipped with modem facilities for fish processing. Good manufacturing practices are followed and sanitation has already improved to a great extent. The most difficult thing is to control the present system of peeling. This may soon be improved with the co-operation of the factory managements.

17.3 Modern concept of preventive quality control

17.3.1 The HACCP concept

Earlier, quality control was based on 'lot' inspection and sampling schemes, where there was almost no or little scope of overcoming the problems or defects, if identified in the final products. Rejection of final products involved heavy loss, so various efforts were made by Dr W E Deming, Croshy and Juran to develop a proper method of ensuring quality. For effective management, quality must be built into the process rather than be instilled through inspection. The basic philosophy must be 'Don't make mistakes in the first place' (Get it right first time, zero defect).'

Modem thinking on quality control offers programmes which vary slightly in methods without changing the basic objective, that is, improved quality. A total awareness in regard to quality management can be achieved. The philosophy of quality management is defined as an open style of management based on an appreciation of understanding, variation in prices, performance and eliminating the possible defects.

17.3.1 The HACCP concept

In contrast to the principles of retrospective microbiological analysis, a preventive strategy based on thorough analysis of the prevailing conditions is much more likely to provide greater safety. A study leading to control of all factors related to contamination, survival and growth of micro-organisms in food in all stages of the food chain is what is known as the 'Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)', the best system available for improving the microbiological safety of food.

The system originated in the U.S.A. in 1971 and was later adopted by different countries under different names: in E.U., 'Own Check', in Canada 'Quality Management Programme (QMP)' and in Japan 'Advance and Diverse Sanitary Control System'. But regardless of what it is called, the objectives are the same and the methods are similar. The anticipation of hazards and the identification of control points are the key elements in HACCP.

The system offers a rational and logical approach to controlling (microbiological) food hazards and avoids many weaknesses inherent in the inspectional approach. Once established, the main effort of quality assurance will be directed towards the CCPs and away from endless final product testing. This will assure a much higher degree of safety at less cost. An HACCP-type system is the system of choice for food safety and for non-safety hazards, such as the prevention of economic fraud in relation to labelling, misgrading, weight etc. As required by export inspection agencies, processors have to implement the system in their establishments.

A processor/exporter in Bangladesh may ask why he should be worried about HACCP. The answer is very simple: Any one exporting fish and fish products in E.U. U.S.A., Canada or Japan will have to implement such a programme. If he fails to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the regulatory agencies in importing countries that he has an effective programme operating in his processing plant, importers will not accept his products. The Codex Alimentarius Commission and GATT is also expected to do the same. In this context, Bangladesh has taken a positive step for inclusion of the 'Quality Assurance Programme (QAP)' in the 'Fish and Fish Products (Inspection and Quality Control) Rules'. The main elements (7 steps) of an effective HACCP-system are:

- Identify all possible food safety and non-safety hazards that are likely to occur in the processing operation, based on the species being processed and the process used, and analyze the risks related to those hazards.

- Establish critical points in the process, at which any sort of failure could make food unsafe if proper control is not exercised. Each point may be identified as a Critical Control Point (CCP).

- Establish critical limits for every CCP, that is, set maximum/minimum limits (parameters) for every critical point, so that the concerned employees will know when the process or the product (at the Critical Point) fails to meet criteria required to ensure that the food will be safe. A 'decision tree' based on the idea of Mayes (1992) and QMP Process Flow, identifying 12 areas of potential hazards, and a chart showing how to find your own critical control points, are shown in Figures 11, 12 and 13 on the following pages.

Figure 11. QMP Process Flow: Identifying 12 areas of potential hazards

Figure 12. Decision Tree to locate the Critical Control Points in a Process Flow

Figure 13. Find your own Critical Control Points (CCP)

- Set up monitoring procedures to keep track of how all required tasks are performed at each Critical Control Point.

- Put a plan in place to ensure that corrective action is taken quickly whenever monitoring procedures show that there is a problem at any Critical Point.

- Set up verification and review procedures to ensure that the system of monitoring is working effectively.

- Establish an effective system of keeping records to document how every aspect of the system is working (to satisfy regulators, importers, etc. that the operation of the plant is in accordance with HACCP, 'Own Check' or QMP principles).

17.3.2 Introduction and application of an HACCP-system

The principles of HACCP are very logical, simple and straightforward. However, in practical application, a number of problems are likely to arise. It is advisable, therefore, to adopt a local and stepwise sequence for introduction of the HACCP-system, as suggested below.

Step 1. Commitment

The first step is to ensure that top management is firmly committed to introduce the system and make available sufficient resources (personnel, equipment) for its implementation.

Step 2. Assemble the HACCP-team and material

Introduction of a HACCP system in a food factory requires a multidisciplinary approach by a team of specialists. The microbiologist, the processing specialist, chemist, quality assurance manager, the engineer, packaging technologist, and sales training and personnel managers could be members of the team. Key members of the team must have an intimate knowledge of the HACCP-system.

Step 3. Initiation of programme

When the HACCP team is assembled, its terms of reference must be clearly defined and agreed on by the group. A detailed description and specification of the product, a precise process flow diagram, and a description of cleaning and sanitation procedures must be provided the team. The team will visit the processing site for verification of the process-flow diagram and also the facilities and equipment available to obtain information on the possibility of hazards.

Step 4. Process analysis

When all the information regarding product and process have been collected, the data must be analyzed, all hazards identified, and Critical Control Points (CCPs) established. A Decision Tree can help this process. All the CCPs must be identified on the flow diagram. Other control points, which are not critical, can also be marked on the flow diagram with a clear distinction.

Step 5. Control options

Each CCP must have a clear and specific control procedure which specifies how the CCP will be controlled. Equipment and instruments used in control functions must also be kept under strict control and their performance validated regularly.

Step 6. Monitoring procedures

Monitoring and data recording are essential elements of the system. All actions, observations and measurements must be recorded for possible use later. All changes to product formulae or processing lines introduced as a result of the HACCP study, as well as the corrective action taken when something was out of control must be on record.

Step 7. Training of staff

When the HACCP study is completed and the programme is ready for implementation, training of staff must take place. All persons involved in the programme, from line operators to managers, must understand the principles and have a very clear idea of their own role in the system. Training and refresher courses must take place regularly and new members of the staff should not be allowed to begin work before they have gone through training in HACCP principles and procedures.

17.3.3 Regulatory agencies and HACCP

As it is primarily the responsibility of the processing industry to produce quality product according to standard specifications and to ensure that fishery products are safe and meet health requirements, the HACCP-system needs to be tailored to each individual fish processing establishment in its own In-Plant Quality Control (IPQC) system. A close cooperation between the regulatory agencies and the industry can make the programme a success. Once introduced, each plant needs to have its system approved by the Government Regulatory Authority. All CCPs and monitoring records can then be checked by inspectors and compliance with safe processing requirements can easily be confirmed. As a further guarantee, the regulatory agencies should also occasionally carry out verification tests, either on a routine basis or as surprise checks, to ensure that the HACCP system is working.

18. BOTTLENECKS AND CONSTRAINTS IN QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEM

18.1 Infrastructure
18.2 Plant management
18.3 Institutional

18.1 Infrastructure

i. Lack of modem, hygienic fish landing centres makes maintaining primary quality standards almost impossible.

ii. Fishermen and fish traders, due to illiteracy, ignorance and lack of awareness, are not interested in hygienic landing centres.

iii. Shortage of adequate ice-plants with sufficient capacity in and around major fish landing centres.

iv. Too many processing plants compared to the availability of raw materials.

v. Shortage of cold storages, freezer storage and cold chain facilities.

vi. Lack of handling and preservation facilities.

vii. Too few fishing boats with ice-holds for overnight fishing.

viii. Inadequate transportation and distribution facilities and too few insulated and refrigerated fish vans. Open trucks are the main fish carriers at present.

xi. Lack of communication complex. And interconnected transport system has not been developed properly in the country, thereby causing problems with the distribution of raw material in the minimum possible time.

x. Lack of electric supply in the remote areas where fish/shrimp culture farms are located prevents introduction of improved technology for increased production and proper management.

xi. Modem technology is still not being used or adapted in fish culture and product development.

xii. Research and development programmes not emphasized.

xiii. Poor socioeconomic conditions and illiteracy in remote areas retard any development.

18.2 Plant management

i. Lack of commitment by the top management hinders quality control, which is directly proportional to the importance placed on it by top management.

ii. Lack of proper knowledge of modem sanitation techniques in controlling plants.

iii. Ignorance or carelessness in managing personal hygiene of the workers in fish processing.

iv. Competition between plant owners for procurement of raw material provides opportunities for acceptance of raw materials.

v. Absence of in-plant quality control unit in most processing plants.

vi. Extra pressure on the production manager/supervisor to produce undergrade products in order to maintain a quantitative balance between raw materials and finished products.

vii. Irregularity in electricity supply effecting product quality while in production and storage.

viii. Bulk quantities of seasonal supply (related to the phases of the moon) affect quality of products.

ix. Lack of interest on the part of plant managements in introducing the HACCP system and in-process control systems in the plants increases the chances of defective products.

18.3 Institutional

i. The present system of official inspection and quality control is restricted mainly to end products, which gives ample scope for deterioration of raw materials during transit from harvest or landing centres to the receiving section of the plants.

ii. The present inspection system is inadequate and cannot assure the quality of fish entering the internal markets.

iii. There is no R & D for improving and upgrading of fish handling, transportation, fish processing and marketing.

iv. Sufficient number of fish inspectors and technologists seriously retards FIQC activity.

v. Lack of computerized database, system of checking, data analysis and methodology development in the national quality assurance programme.

19. IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

19.1 Infrastructure
19.2 In-plant quality control (IPQC)
19.3 Organizational facilities
19.4 Research, development and extension
19.5 International co-operation
19.6 Legal support

19.1 Infrastructure

Improvement and standardization of trawlers and mechanized boats together with appropriate fishing gear and refrigerated fish-holds are urgently needed to ensure post-harvest quality.

Modem hygienic fishing ports and fish landing centres are needed on a priority basis.

Proper utilization of the existing modem fish landing centres to ensure primary quality of fish and fish products.

Establishment of more ice-plants, cold-stores and preservation facilities.

Introduction of air-conditioned and refrigerated fish vans and fish carriers to maintain cold-chain during transportation.

Improvement of the existing urban fish markets in the country.

Establishment of exclusive shrimp landing centres/service centres in the shrimp farming zones of the country.

Establishment of modem retail marketing facilities with refrigerated fish vans, rickshaw vans and fish stalls and shops with refrigerators and deep freezes in the private sector.

Increasing the raw material supply situation through the introduction of semi-intensive fish/shrimp culture in order to increase capacity-utilization of existing processing plants.

19.2 In-plant quality control (IPQC)

Management of processing plants should be totally committed to quality assurance programmes.

The HACCP system should be introduced in all processing plants and in all phases, from catching/harvesting to export.

Every fish processing plant should have an in-plant quality control unit for its 'own-check'.

Every processing unit management should ensure receipt of raw material supplies commensurate with its production capacity, so that quality deterioration might not result from stockpiling.

Hygienic and sanitary conditions of plant and machinery should be maintained at all times. Proper attention should be paid by the plant management to the personal hygiene of the working staff. Uniform temperature should be maintained in the freezer storage till export.

19.3 Organizational facilities

The organizational facilities of the Q.C. unit of the DOF, being inadequate to meet the existing international and domestic requirements, need to be thoroughly overhauled and improved. Otherwise, serious problems, including a ban by 'E.U. USA and other countries on import of seafood may soon be proclaimed. The following improvements in organizational facilities are necessary:

1. Existing Q.C. laboratories need to be equipped with adequate modem equipment, machinery, chemicals and computerized facilities.

2. Two more regional laboratories, one each at the major fish and shrimp landing and processing zones of Cox's Bazar and Satkhira, need to be established on a priority basis.

3. Satellite Q.C. laboratories and Inspectorates need to be established in the Divisional Headquarters of Sylhet, Rajshahi and Barisal.

4. Smallscale Q.C. and inspection satellite stations are needed in about 40 other landing centres in Bangladesh.

5. The organizational set-up and manpower position of the proposed quality control department needs to be greatly strengthened and it should be headed by a Director independently responsible for its operation.

6. Laboratory equipment and facilities must be improved to ensure effective analysis of fish and fish products for pathogens, toxic elements, pesticidal residue, antibiotics and radioactivity.

19.4 Research, development and extension

Research, development and extension activities in the field of quality assurance are virtually absent in the country. The DOF and FRI should take up the following programmes:

1. A study to improve fish and shrimp seed procurement and transportation systems.
2. A study on the collection, handling, preservation and distribution of fish and fishery products.
3. Development of durable and cheaper sources of insulated fish containers.
4. Development of local technology for short-term preservation of fish and ice in remote areas.
5. A study on quality problems arising in the processing and storing of fish products.
6. A study on the development of value-added fish products and the diversification of such production.
7. A study on the environmental and disease problems of fisheries.
8. A study on the socioeconomic development of the fisherfolk community.
9. A study on the credit system in the field of fisheries.
10. A survey of fishery resources and fishing villages and fishermen's households.

19.5 International co-operation

Since improving the quality assurance programme is a gigantic task, involving various stages of development from the landing centres upto the processing plants, international co-operation from developed/importing countries, such as the E.U. USA, Canada and Japan and international development organizations like FAO, UNDP, UNIDO, World Bank, ADB, SIDA, DANIDA, NORAD and JICA will be very helpful in the following subsectors.

- The establishment of modern fishing harbours and fish landing centres in important fishing areas such as Cox's Bazar, Teknaf, St. Martin, Hatiya, Sandip, Sitakunda, Bhola, Charfesson, Hajimara, Patuakhali, Mohipur, Kuakata, Patharghata, Parerhat, Karerhat, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Chandpur, Kuliarchar, Bhairab, Sunamganj, Habiganj, Kishorgonj and Daudkandi.

- Establishing of cold-chain facilities and organizing refrigerated fish van transport.

- Financial and technical assistance from Stabex, JICA and USAID funds for new Quality Assurance Programmes aimed at introducing HACCP.

- Training of manpower in quality assurance.

19.6 Legal support

There is not enough legal support in the field of fisheries development, management and quality assurance. There is also no fish landing and marketing ordinance or act whatsoever. In the absence of such legal support fishermen do not care to land their catch in the modern and hygienic fish landing centres developed by Government.

The Marine Fisheries Ordinance (1983) is the only legal support for the management, development and conservation of marine fisheries resources. In the quality control sub-sector, 'The Fish and Fish Products (Inspection and Quality Control) Ordinance, 1983' is in force. But this cannot be properly implemented due to lack of equipment and manpower. The rules under the earlier Ordinance are now under amendment in view of the recent developments in the E.U and other countries. Legal support in the following fields is urgently needed:

- An independent act or ordinance for fish landing and marketing.

- Till then, fish landing activities should be strictly guided by the existing Marine Fisheries Rules, 1983.

- Rules under the Fish and Fish Products (Inspection and Quality Control) Ordinance need to be amended to cover all fish landing centres and fish markets.

- Licensing of all such landing centres and fish markets should be jointly regulated by the BFDC & DOF.

- All improvised or unhygienic landing centres and fish markets should be improved, as per quality control rules, or be closed down.

20. CONCLUSIONS

Fish is the main source of protein in Bangladesh. It is also one of the major sources of foreign exchange earnings, contributing to 10-12 per cent of the total exports of the country. Due to poor infrastructural facilities in the field of fish harvesting, landing, handling, preservation, distribution, marketing and quality assurance, Bangladesh produce has been fetching 10-15 per cent lower prices in the international markets. Quick and proper action is, therefore, needed by the GOB and the industry itself in this field. Immediate introduction of HACCP systems and their implementation is necessary. Otherwise Bangladesh seafoods might well be banned by importing countries.

REFERENCES

E.P.B. Bangladesh Exports Statistics, (1971-94). Exports Promotion Bureau, Dhaka. G.O.B. 'Water Area Statistics a/Bangladesh'. Fisheries Information Bulletin. Vol. 3, No. 1, DOF, Dhaka, December 1986.

Fish Catch Statistics of Bangladesh. DOF/GOB (1983-94). FAO/UN. Report on Survey of Marketing of Fish and Shellfish in Bangladesh. DP/BGD/79/015-3FI. Hussain M.M. The Commercial Fishes of the Bay of Bengal. UNDP Project PAK-22, Pub. No. 1, September 1971.

__________Marine Fisheries Resources of the Bay of Bengal. Trans. Seminar Marine Fisheries Development in Bangladesh. March 10-11, 1982.

__________Fish and Shrimp Processing Industry of Bangladesh. Proceedings of the FAO/ESCAP/UNCTC/ UNIDO Workshop on Transfer of Technology for Entrepreneurial Development in Bangladesh. March 4-8, 1990. Published by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific, Bangkok, 1990.

____________The Status of Development of the Fishery Industry in Bangladesh. Presented in the International Conference on Processing of Sea Products, Moscow, Russia, October 28-29, 1993.

_____________Fish Marketing in Bangladesh. Published in the Proceedings of INFOFISH/LKIM/FAO Regional Workshop on Fish Marketing in Asia, September 26-29, 1994. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Helaluddin, Md. and Das, T.K. Status of Sea Food Quality Management and Improvement Needed. (Un-published).