Culture-based fisheries in Bangladesh: a socio-economic perspective (FAO fisheries technical paper)

Fisheries policy in Bangladesh is still trying to get to grips with the major dilemmas of maximizing benefits from natural resources. During the 20th century Bangladesh adopted one-sided production-oriented policies in the agricultural sector to feed its rapidly growing population. This strategy included increasing fish production, then in decline mainly as a result of environmental degradation brought about by the expansion of agriculture. The solution was to develop aquaculture and later to promote culture-based fisheries and large-scale stocking in the floodplains and beels (lakes) that previously sustained capture fisheries. Although fish production per se in many cases may have increased as a result of this type of intervention, benefits have not been socially and environmentally sustainable. This document reviews and discusses the development of culture-based fisheries and community-based fisheries management in Bangladesh with regard to socio-economic impacts as well as environmental effects and biodiversity loss.