Aquatic Resources Development Management and Conservation Studies of the Fourth Fisheries Project Bangladesh

Global Environment Facility GEF and World Bank - Project Dates:
June 2001 - January 2003

Description of Project:
The Fourth Fisheries Project supports sustainable growth in, and equitable distribution of the benefits generated from, increased fish and shrimp production for domestic consumption and exports. The project contributes to poverty alleviation in Bangladesh by improving the livelihoods of poor people dependant on fisheries resources. This goal will be achieved through a variety of interventions in the aquatic resources sector, the purpose of which will be to: improve the access of poor people to aquatic resources for food and income; improve the capacity of local users to manage aquatic resources in a sustainable and equitable fashion; sustain and, where possible, enhance the production of fish and shrimp by small-scale producers; improve employment opportunities and incomes for small-scale producers; and improve the capacity of the Department of Fisheries and other concerned public sector agencies to effectively support private sector fisheries.

Services Provided:
Poseidon supplied the services of one of the three international members of the team, the Aquatic Biodiversity Specialist (Coastal Fisheries). This position was responsible for evaluating aquatic biodiversity issues in the coastal environment and designing research programmes to assess their importance in terms of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture production. Two studies were designed and put into implementation: (i) the examination of environmental issues in coastal shrimp aquaculture and (ii) an evaluation of the ecological impact of shrimp post-larvae collection in Bangladesh. The results of these studies has lead to practical action plans for the Department of Fisheries and their institutional partners to ensure that biodiversity conservation is included in mainstream development planning.