There is good news from the country's fisheries sector. A manifold increase has been reported in fish farming with positive signs of the sector becoming a key driver for socio-economic growth, besides ensuring protein sufficiency.
Bangladesh has a deltaic landscape marked by innumerable rivers and a wide expanse of wetland that make it strongly suitable for fisheries. Following its attainment of maritime rights over the Bay of Bengal, the opportunity of having a significant reign over fisheries has been further enhanced. So, the country can now boast of possessing fisheries resources both inland and off-shore.
There has been a steady growth in the fisheries sector over the years. The sector now contributes about 4.0 per cent to the country's gross domestic product (GDP) while about 15 million people are engaged in the industry, many of whom are womenfolk. On the export front too, the parameter has also been on the upward trend. Nevertheless, the potential of developing the production as well as the export is enormous.
There has been global recognition of development in the fisheries sector in Bangladesh too. The report "State of the World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2016" published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) ranked Bangladesh as the fifth largest producer of inland fishes after China, Indonesia, India and Vietnam. The global report also mentioned how the sector is fast becoming a key driver for alleviating poverty by creating huge employment and developing the supply-chain.
With the increase in population, improvement of per capita economic empowerment and growth of health consciousness, consumption of fish has increased manifold over the years, particularly in the urban areas. As such, the supply-chain from the rural areas to urban regions has also improved. However, there still exist a lot of challenges in making the sector more viable and sustainable.
Interestingly, many slabs of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) directly relate to the fisheries sector. Wide fisheries activities including creation of responsible marketplace and supply-chain can help in reducing poverty, which is goal number one of the SDGs. Number two SDG is about zero hunger and increased fish production can help in mitigating hunger. SDG number three which calls for good health can be met by enabling fish sufficiency. As fisheries sector is mainly labour-oriented and of domestic nature, it can create enormous employment opportunities for women thus narrowing gender inequality which is the fifth SDG. Further, SDG number fourteen commits to saving life below water which demands proper conservation. With so many SDGs connected to fish resources and aquaculture, it is imperative that due attention be given to the fisheries development sector.
The biggest challenge is fish processing. While the catch can be made wide and expansive, proper conservation will need smart technological support. This is where the lack is visible. China, Vietnam and Myanmar are having the competitive edge in the global market due to the technological inputs that they are using in fish production and processing. Our fish farmers are still locked in traditional methods and in most cases there are no opportunities for conservation facilities like deep-freezing or warehousing.
While opportunities lurk high in the sector in creating employment, ensuring better health for the people, contributing to food sufficiency and earning huge foreign exchange through exports, the boat should not be missed.
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