OPEN WATER FISHERIES POLICY IN BANGLADESH

Policy : Policy can be defined as the collection of decision sets out the general aims and
objective of the governing body with respect inland fisheries. It provides a content within
while more detailed decisions about organization, resource allocation procedures etc should
be made.
Rule : One of set of explicit or understood regulations governing conduct within a
particular activity.
Act : A written ordinance of parliament.
Policy for procurement of fish for the open freshwater bodies in Bangladesh :

1. To conserve fish habitats from damage, appropriate care should be taken during
   the implementation of all developmental activities such as flood control, irrigation and
   drainage (FCD/1) projects, agriculture, industries, road and urban development projects.
   2 . Arrangement will be made to ensure either the lights of genuine fishers in open
   water bodies or production-based management in lieu of the prevailing tax-based
   management system. Fish harvesting will be kept at its maximum sustainable level.
   • For increased production and to conserve biodiversity, some areas or the whole
   jalmohal will need to be converted into fish sanctuaries.
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   • Department' of Fisheries will be liable for the care and management of the declare
   fish sanctuaries with the help of fishers societies and bodies of local government, if
   necessary.
   • Jalmohals designated as fish sanctuaries will be transferred to the Directorate of
   Fisheries.
2. A new integrated model for fish/ shrimp cum HYV rice culture will be initiated in the
   beets, haors and other flood affected areas, especially in the regions encircled by dams in
   flood control and irrigation projects. National Fisheries Policy, 1998
3. Steps will be taken to control the harvesting of gravid fish and fingerlings in order to
   enhance reproduction and increase production.
   • Fish culture will be initiated on a priority basis where low lying lands remain
   inundated under 50 cm of water for a period of more than 3 months.
4. Breeding grounds of fish and freshwater giant prawn will be conserved.
5. Action will be taken to utilize the Fish Conservation Acts perfectly in order to prevent
   capture of banned size for Hilsha and other fishes.
6. Discharge of harmful municipal and industrial wastes directly into the water bodies will
   be considered a punishable crime and measures will be taken to ban the use of harmful
   chemical substances and insecticides in the agricultural fields.
7. Import, manufacture, sale, storage and use of current net (monofilament net) and other
   such nets harmful for the fisheries resources will be banned.
8. The Fishermen Societies along with the local government will be engaged in the
   execution of the fish conservation acts besides the authorities presently engaged for the
   same, purposes.
9. Surveys will be conducted of the water bodies, which become water logged or become
   closed water bodies due to the flood control and irrigation projects. Appropriate measures
   will be taken to culture fish therein.
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10. Lakes, beefs, ditches-canals and other open water bodes should not be completely
    dewatered.
11. Water bodies like haor, baor and beef would be renovated for fish culture and these
    water bodies would not be reduced in sizes.
12. All water bodies primarily used for fisheries will be marked and their appropriate use
    will be ensured.
13. Genuine fishermen would be given priority to get khas water bodies.
14. Arrangements will be made to conserve the threatened and endangered fish species and
    ensure mass production.
15. Demonstration cages and pen culture is initiated after successful experiments.
    Limitation to implent the policy for open water fisheries :
16. Flood control problem,
17. Water drainage and construction of dam and barrage in the irrigation projects,
18. Exploitation of mature brood fish and their juvenile,
19. Revenue based fisheries management through leasing,
20. Removal of excess water for crop cultivation,
21. Release of hazardous chemical and poisoned substance from the slum area,
22. Different industrial plants into the rivers and other water bodies,
23. Reduction of water holdin capacity of rivers, beel and haor due to siltation,
24. Harvesting of excessive amount of fishes to meet the demand of growing
    population.
    Some reccomedation for overcoming these limitations:
25. For addressing inland open water fisheries management challenges in
    Bangladesh community base fisheries management has been introduced in
26. Among other open water fisheries management initiatives CBFM is
    the most important one covering the open water fisheries management,
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27. Undertaken open water fisheries development activities through partnership
    of NGO, DOF and WorldFish Center working to assess the impacts of these
    approaches (particularly on poor people and fishers), their sustainability
    (institutional, social, economic, and biological), and the potential for
    expansion,
28. The first phase of Community Based Fisheries Management (CBFM) project
    started in 1995 with 19 different types of waterbodies. Funded by the Ford
    Foundation U.S.A. Due to successful completion of first phase second phase
    was introduced in 2001 with 115 waterbodies spreading all over the country,
29. CBFM-2 has been developing and testing a range of community based
    fisheries management approaches and models in different types of
    waterbodies for overcoming the challenges,
30. Three models have been identified for managing open water fisheries. These
    are, Fisher managed, Community managed and women managed approach,
31. Initiated a study for developing a framework for understanding policy
    changes and processes in the open water fisheries in Bangladesh. Policy
    process study has identified different stakeholder for formulating the policy
    process,
32. Restoration and conservation in an attempt to link micro and macro levels of
    stakeholders. Otherwise the huge potential of open water fisheries sector will
    be overexploited and destroyed for the increasing population of Bangladesh.
    CONCLUSIONS:
    􀀀The key challenges in the policy environment, particularly on the commitment of
    government to continue on the path of community approach for managing natural
    resources such as open water fisheries. Changes in policy could put to xxx the large effort
    that has gone into xxx communities and setting up local committee such as CBOs for
    managing open water fisheries in Bangladesh.
    􀀀CBFM-2 is one of the important initiatives in open water fisheries management in
    Bangladesh. However, several projects have been undertaken. The table below shows the
    status of different projects on open water fisheries management.
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    References:

• Huda, A.T.M.S (2003), Fishing in muddy water: policy process for inland fisheries in
  Bangladesh. Community Based Fisheries Management Project (CBFM-2) Working Paper

1. Dhaka Bangladesh: WorldFish Center. pp 11-27

• Thompson Paul M (2004), Lessons Form Community Based Fisheries Management in
  Bangladesh. Briefing Paper. Dhaka Bangladesh: WorldFish Center. pp 2-15,
• Paul.M. Thompson, Parvin Sultana, Nurul Islam, S.M. Nazmul Islam, M. Mokarram
  Hossain, Anup Kumar Shaha August 2001, Lessons from Community Based Management
  of floodplain fisheries in Bangladesh.
• K.Kuperan Viswanathan Jesper, Raakjaer Nielsen Co-Management- policy brief
  finding from a worldwide study: WorldFish Center policy brief 2.26p. WorldFish Center
  contribute # 1696