How do coastal fisheries play a vital role in achieving a sustainable blue economy?
Blue economy is the use of ocean and coastal resources in a sustainable manner to stimulate economic growth, enhance livelihoods, and promote the health of the marine ecosystem. Blue economy comprises fisheries activities, maritime trade, coastal tourism, and renewable ocean energy done in a manner that does not harm the ecosystem. For nations such as Bangladesh, blue economy has vast potential for promoting economic growth without jeopardizing the biodiversity of the ocean and without compromising the resilience of the coastal society.
Bangladesh’s marine fishery, mainly in the Bay of Bengal, is an important industry in the country’s economy. Major fishing areas are Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Khulna, and Barisal. The industry produces a vast range of species like hilsa, shrimp, pomfret, bombay duck, and sardines. Marine and coastal fisheries yield nearly 15 percent of the national fish production and also play an important role in giving employment to coastal people. Total, the fisheries industry accounts for approximately 3 percent of Bangladesh’s GDP. It also accounts for virtually 25 percent of agricultural GDP.
Coastal fisheries in Bangladesh are playing a significant role in supporting the national and local economies. The industry offers employment opportunities both directly and indirectly to millions of individuals, mainly in rural coastal populations. The sector adds value to trade and earns precious foreign exchange from the export of fish and seafood products, mainly shrimp and hilsa. Besides, it supports national food security by providing low-cost protein for the country’s population. Fisheries along the coast therefore play a central part in economic stability, poverty alleviation, and nutritional enhancement.
Approximately 20 million Bangladeshis work in the fisheries industry direct and indirect including coastal fisheries. Approximately 2.5 million fishers reside in coastal districts, and approximately 2 million other workers contribute to the industry as vendors, transporters, processors, and boat makers. Most coastal families depend totally on fishing-related livelihood. Sale and processing are carried out by women. The industry is thus an important source of revenue and economic livelihood in coastal communities.
Sustainable coastal fisheries are an integral part of the conservation of marine diversity and ecological equilibrium in the Bay of Bengal. Through regulation of fishery practices and avoiding overfishing, they facilitate the protection of endangered species and habitats like coral reefs and mangrove forests. The well-managed process preserves the health of fish stocks and other marine ecosystems and enhances ecosystem resilience. Biodiversity conservation in a sustainable fishery also protects the long-term productivity of the sea, both for the environment and for the livelihood that it represents.
Bangladesh coastal fishery is adversely affected by several reasons which act against the sustainability of these fishery resources. Fisheries resources vanish overnight with trawling and over-fishing, thus breaking sea-life cycles. Plastics littering, runoffs of agrochemicals, and industrial effluent pollute water bodies and create danger to fish health. Climate change enhances these threats through sea temperature warming, change in salinity, and enhanced frequency of extreme events, which undermine breeding and migration. They threaten the future viability of coastal fisheries and the communities that depend upon them.
The coastal fishery is a significant source of cheap protein for Bangladesh’s millions, especially in the rural and coastal areas. Fish are included in the staple diet, which is more than 60 percent of animal protein consumed. Fish like hilsa, sardine, and bombay duck caught from the coasts are highly consumed and cheap to low-income communities. Through provision of regular fish supply, coastal fisheries contribute to the fight against malnutrition and food insecurity and are hence crucial to vulnerable groups in the well-being and health of the country.
Bangladesh has implemented many policies to maintain coastal fisheries and aid its blue economy. Marine Fisheries Act 2020, a reenactment of the 1983 ordinance, instills licensing, fishing prohibition, and enables the demarcation of marine protected areas. It also entails an annual 65‑day prohibition on hilsa, in addition to vessel registration and surveillance through the Joint Monitoring Cell, to guard against breeding stocks. Government-announced marine reserves such as Swatch of No Ground, Nijhum Dwip, Saint Martin’s and Middle Ground protect ~8.8% of the EEZ. Other measures are co‑management committees and mariculture regulations for instituting sustainable practice.
Community-based fisheries management in Bangladesh enables coastal communities, NGOs, and the government to manage marine resources collectively in a sustainable manner. Programs such as USAID-funded ECOFISH encouraged 136 fishing villages and 63 landing centers to adapt to co-management, forming hundreds of local hilsa and women’s savings groups conservation committees. BSCMFP established 450 fisheries co-management committees to implement bans and arrest illegal fishing. These efforts enhance resource stewardship, create resilience within the community, and yield long-term economic and environmental returns.
Climate-smart fishing is crucial in supporting coastal communities in Bangladesh to adapt to the effects of climate change, varying from sea-level rise to cyclones and salinity intrusion. Methods such as seasonal fishing prohibition, selective gear deployment, and restoration of ecosystems enhance sustainable yields and alleviate pressure on the vulnerable species. Moreover, education of fishers about early warning systems, safe passage, and post-harvest handling enhances safety and income. These adaptive measures enhance the resilience of coastal society as well as ensure long-term food and ecological security.
Bangladesh’s marine fisheries have adopted various technological and sustainable advancements in order to minimize wastage and maximize efficiency. New-age smart gears like selective nets and IoT-capable boats connected to Bangabandhu‑1 satellite enhance regulation and administration of resources. At the same time, a World Bank-supported project headed by JBRATRC uses AI and IoT facilities for monitoring mariculture in the sea. Also, FAO‑enhanced fish‑drying racks and computerized supply chains assist in reducing post‑harvest loss and product degradations.
To increase the sustainability of coastal fisheries, Bangladesh needs to enforce fishing regulations more effectively and deal with illegal activity. Strengthened marine research will facilitate evidence-based policymaking and conservation. Fishers need to be climate-smart and safe with training. Bay of Bengal regional cooperation can be employed to enhance cooperative management of shared resources. Further, integrating youths into blue economy employment through education and innovation will create future leaders. These paired measures are required to balance economic growth with the protection of oceanic ecosystems.
MD. Noor Hamza Peash
LL.B. student, Department Of Law
World University of Bangladesh.