Module 6 - Bangladesh: Listening to the Voice of the Poor

Bangladesh depends on fisheries for 67 percent of animal protein intake, 13 percent of protein supplies, and 5 percent of export earnings. The nation fits well into the World Bank's development strategy of increased fish production with particular emphasis on poverty alleviation and on export potential for the fisheries sector.

Project Objectives and Description

The objective of the Fourth Fisheries Project was to support sustainable growth in (and equitable distribution of the benefits generated from) increased fish and shrimp production for domestic consumption and exports. The project components called for:

• Community-based management of inland open-water fisheries.
  
  
• Development and management of coastal shrimp aquaculture.
  
  
• Freshwater aquaculture extension and training, including the supply of transport.
  
  
• Support for managing and mainstreaming biodiversity aspects of the project, as well as for assessing sustainability of aquatic ecosystems and exotic species.
  
  
• Institutional support, including technical assistance to prepare a national fisheries strategy, training, civil works, and/or equipment as needed.

Bangladesh has vast inland open-water fisheries resources. Changes in land use and a growing population have increased the pressure on fisheries resources. The abundance of some species (particularly of the valuable migratory carps) has been seriously affected, and the availability of more resilient floodplain fish species may even be at risk. The Government of Bangladesh (GOB) addressed these issues through a strategy that includes conserving aquatic resources, shifting priorities in management from revenue generation to biological conservation and sustainability, increasing production by involving beneficiaries in management and stock enhancement, and rehabilitating degraded habitats.

Unplanned shrimp farming development has led to a degradation of agricultural land and negatively affected the livelihoods of local people. The expansion of shrimp farming has raised conflicts between rice farmers and those involved in shrimp farming. The project identified that conflict resolution was essential for the industry to grow sustainably.