📌 Bangladesh Fisheries Sector: Resources, Production & Institutional Framework

Writer: Niaz Murshed Chowdhury

✅ 1️⃣ Introduction

Bangladesh, a lower riparian South Asian country crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers and floodplains, has long relied on its inland and marine waters for food security, livelihoods, and export earnings. Fish and shrimp are the second-largest agricultural export after ready-made garments. The fisheries sector supplies about 60% of animal protein consumed by Bangladeshis and employs ~11% of the national workforce directly or indirectly.

Over the past two decades, Bangladesh has sustained impressive growth in aquaculture and capture fisheries:

• The sector contributes ~4.5% to GDP and ~23% to agricultural GDP (Bangladesh Economic Review, 2023).

• The sector’s annual growth rate has averaged 5–7%, outperforming crops and livestock.

• Bangladesh has become the 5th largest aquaculture producer globally (FAO, 2022).

The country’s extensive natural water bodies — rivers, beels, haors, baors, ponds, floodplains, and a 480 km coastline with a 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) — provide vast fishery potential.

✅ 2️⃣ Sources of Revenue

The Department of Fisheries (DoF) generates revenue entirely through non-tax revenues (NTR), including:

• Leasing public water bodies,

• Licensing fishers and traders,

• Fees from fish landing centers,

• Royalties from processing plants and export clearances.

📊 Example Table: Non-Tax Revenue by DoF (FY 2019–2024)

Year	Non-Tax Revenue (Million BDT)
2019	1,240
2020	1,285
2021	1,310
2022	1,450
2023	1,600
2024	1,750 (est.)

✅ 3️⃣ Fish Marketing, Export & Import

Bangladesh is a major shrimp exporter.

• Farmed shrimp (black tiger shrimp Bagda and freshwater prawn Golda) are the largest fishery export.

• Seafood exports contribute ~2.5% of total export earnings.

• 82 processing plants, all HACCP-certified, export to the EU, USA, Japan, Russia, Korea, China, India, and Middle Eastern markets.

Bangladesh faced export challenges when the EU detected Nitrofuran metabolites in freshwater prawn shipments in 2009. A six-month voluntary ban and stricter residue monitoring followed. Collaborative measures with the EU, donors, and international experts helped resolve the crisis — Bangladesh remains compliant with EU food safety requirements.

Key export hubs: Chattogram and Mongla seaports, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, and five land-border points for exports to India.

Fishing equipment imports: Since the 1970s, Bangladesh has imported trawlers, marine engines, synthetic twine, ice plants, cold storage trucks, and training vessels from countries like Denmark, Japan, USSR, Norway, and India.

✅ 4️⃣ Aquaculture & Fish Farming Practices

4.1 Pond Aquaculture

Pond culture is the backbone of inland aquaculture:

• Covers ~3.5 lakh hectares (~7.4% of inland water).

• Contributes nearly 50% of inland fish production (~1.2 million MT).

• Composite carp polyculture yields ~3,400 kg/ha; intensive pangas farming in Mymensingh yields up to 60+ tons/ha.

4.2 Paddy Field Aquaculture

Bangladesh’s 8 million ha of paddy fields double as seasonal fish habitats. ~2.8 million ha of seasonal floodplains retain water for 4–5 months — ideal for integrated rice-fish culture.

4.3 Borrow-Pit & Canal (Khal) Culture

Flood Control, Drainage & Irrigation (FCDI) projects have rehabilitated borrow-pits and khals for community-based fish farming.

4.4 Baor (Oxbow Lake) Culture

There are ~600 baors covering ~5,500 ha, mostly in Jessore and Kushtia. Community co-management, fingerling stocking, and improved feeding have boosted baor yields from 80 kg/ha to ~750 kg/ha.

4.5 Cage Culture

Cage culture for tilapia and pangas has gained ground in rivers and canals — especially in Chandpur, Laxmipur, Barishal, and Mymensingh. Over 6,000 cages produced ~6,750 MT fish in 2023.

4.6 Pen Culture

Pens built with bamboo or netting rear carp and tilapia in floodplains and canals. Pen sizes vary from 0.5 to several hectares.

4.7 Integrated Fish Farming

Rice–fish–duck systems are increasingly popular. BFRI research shows 500 Khaki Campbell ducks on a 1-ha pond can yield 4.5 tons/ha of carp, while also producing eggs and meat. Traditional sump ponds in paddy fields enhance fish survival during dry seasons.

✅ 5️⃣ Shrimp Culture

Shrimp farming districts: Bagerhat, Satkhira, Pirojpur, Khulna, Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram.

• Coastal ‘gher’ enclosures trap tidal water for Bagda culture.

• Farmers are moving towards semi-intensive systems with improved feed and disease control.

Environmental issues include:

• Mangrove destruction,

• Bycatch of non-target larvae during post-larvae (PL) collection,

• Disease outbreaks (e.g., White Spot Syndrome).

✅ 6️⃣ Institutional Framework

Key institutions:

• Department of Fisheries (DoF): Main policy & management authority with 6 divisional, 64 district, 497 upazila offices, 118 hatcheries, and 4 training centers.

• Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI): Conducts R&D and adaptive research.

• BFDC (Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation): Oversees commercial harvesting, fish harbors, ice plants.

• Bangladesh Jatiya Motshyajibi Samabaya Samity (BJMSS): Fisher cooperative for production, processing.

• Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) & Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA): Manage export facilitation.

• Universities (BAU Mymensingh, Chattogram, Khulna, Dhaka, Rajshahi): Provide higher fisheries education.

• NGOs & donors: DFID, JICA, Danida, WorldFish, CIRDAP support capacity building.

• Banks & microfinance: Provide loans to small farmers.

✅ 7️⃣ Fish Processing Sector

Processing hubs:

• BFDC: Operates plants in Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, Mongla. Facilities include freezing, canning, fishmeal, and shark liver oil units.

• BSFIC: Factories in Khulna & Chattogram.

• BJMSS: Owns export-oriented freezing units.

• Private sector: 80+ modern HACCP-certified plants.

• Traditional drying: Small fishers sun-dry ~3,000 tons/year on Dubla Island alone.

✅ 8️⃣ Applied Research, Education & Training

• Research priorities are coordinated by BARC, DoF, BFRI, universities.

• Degree programs offered at BAU, Chattogram, Khulna, Dhaka, Rajshahi.

• Training: Marine Fisheries Academy, Fisheries Training Institutes (Savar, Chandpur, Raipur, Faridpur), Youth Training Centers.

• International donors (World Bank, DFID, Danida, NORAD) support capacity building.

✅ 9️⃣ Trends & Challenges

Key concerns:

• Overfishing, habitat degradation.

• Disease outbreaks in shrimp.

• Climate change impacts on spawning & migration.

• Improving food safety to meet export standards.

✅ 🔍 10️⃣ Recommendations

✔ Bring underused water bodies under modern culture.✔ Boost employment through value-added fish processing.✔ Strengthen co-management & biodiversity conservation.✔ Develop eco-friendly landing & cold chain infrastructure.✔ Link research to farmers with strong extension.✔ Provide accessible credit for smallholders.✔ Expand sustainable production for food security & exports.