Marine fisheries management: Possible options
With the river estuaries Bangladesh has a coastline of 714 Km and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 1, 64,000 Km2 of which 44 per cent is continental shelf. Bangladesh's coastal waters are rich in the diversity of fishery resources with 475 species of fin-fish including sharks, and rays, a number of shell-fishes including 36 species of shrimp and a number of non-traditional items such as cuttle-fish, octopus, oysters and mussels. More than 90 species are commercially important of which Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha, Fig.1) is the most important contributing over 40 per cent of the total coastal landing. Other important species are Churi (Trichiurus lepturus, Fig. 2), Loittya (Harpadon nehereus, Fig. 3), Koral (Lates calcrifer, Fig.4), Bom-Maittya (Euthynnus affinis, Fig. 5), Rup Chanda (Pampus chinensis, Fig. 6), Kata (Arius thalasinus, Fig. 7), Karati (Chirocentrus dorab, Fig. 8) etc.
Marine catch was only 95,000m.ton in 1975-76. It has increased to about 474,597 tons in 2004-2005. The sector has an estimated (DOF, 2001) 22,500 non- mechanised and 21,400 mechanised fishing boats with 102 authorised industrial trawlers of which 46 shrimp and 40 fin-fish trawlers are in operation and over 200,000 fishermen and support staff are employed in the sector while 1,20,000 4,40,000 people are engaged in shrimp fry collection. The sector earns foreign exchange through export of various marine products including paenid shrimp, frozen, dried and salted fish and shark fins.
Resource status
There had been no study / monitoring of species-wise exploitation pattern of the coastal resources. Stocks of Lakhua (Leptomelanosoma indicum, Fig. 9) and Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) have declined. Results of the past surveys cannot be utilized for management purpose since the fishing effort has substantially (258% since 1975-76) increased. Presently there is better availability of Churi, Maitta, Bom-maitta, Hangor (Scoliodon sorrakowa, Fig.10) in off-shore areas. Decline in CPUE for motorised boats using large meshed gill net (LMD) has been noticed. A large percentage of boats currently remain idle. Shrimp trawlers are experiencing declining CPUE and are currently concentrating in shallow water and come in conflict with artisanal boats. Estuarine set bag nets, push nets and beach seines catch post larvae and juveniles of marine fauna resulting in restriction of growth. Intense exploitation with high fishing effort on limited resource is the present trend. DOF management issues
Management of marine fisheries is highly focused on activities of industrial trawl sector. There is no management and monitoring of artisanal sector which operate from Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barguna and other areas where fishing pressure is increasing alarmingly. Marine wing of DOF has a staff strength of 183 which is only 4.2 per cent of the total (4363) strength. Manpower structure for major work of marine resources conservation, law enforcement, surveillance and monitoring is extremely weak. No manpower is allocated in Cox`s Bazar, Barisal and Khulna region and other coastal areas from where most artisanal fishers operate. Management options
To carry out the job of management and monitoring of marine resources, management responsibility currently vested with the marine wing of DOF in Chittagong be decentralised and allocated to coastal districts and upazilas. Management regimes for trawl sector, mechanised boat sector and non-mechanised artisanal sector shall be re-organised by specifying their fishing gear and area of operation. Marine Ordinance and Rules shall be revised and updated to resolve conflicts among stakeholders on exploitation of limited resources. Trawl sector management
The Deputy Director of marine wing in Chittagong shall be responsible for regulating fishing operations by trawlers in off-shore areas beyond 40 meter depth. Functions of the trawl sector management regime shall be licensing, catch monitoring, surveillance and other activities related with protection of marine reserves, mesh size, closed seasons, breeding grounds protection, pollution control. Mechanised boat management
There are an estimated 21400 mechanised boats (Fig.11) operating marine set bag nets, long lines and drift gill nets in near and off-shore areas of the Bay. Marine Fisheries Rules allow the operation of these boats up to a depth of 40 meters. However, the rules do not prohibit their fishing operation in shallower near-shore waters. These near-shore areas are fished by a large number of non-mechanised artisanal boats using estuarine set bag nets (Fig. 12), beach seines, trammel nets and push nets.. The National Fisheries Policy gives priority to this group of small-scale fishermen and conserves the coastal area for use of small-scale sector. Coastal areas up to 10 km from the shore be reserved and allocated to small-scale artisanal sector while the area from 10 km off the shore up to a depth of 40 meter in the sea be allocated to mechanised boat owners. Artisanal boat management
Artisanal/coastal boats mainly use estuarine set bag nets, beach seines, trammel nets as well as small-mesh gill nets .An estimated 22,000 boats operate in estuaries, river mouth and near-shore areas. National Fisheries Policy gives priority to small-scale fisheries sector and conserves the coastal areas for small-scale fishermen. The following strategies are suggested: Upazila Fisheries Officers of the coastal upazias shall be responsible for management and regulation of non-mechanised fishing boats operated in the estuaries, river mouths and near-shore areas extending up to 10 km in the sea. A Coastal Fisheries Officer (CFO) is proposed to be placed in each of the 47 coastal upazilas for monitoring of boat, gear, catch and marketing of fish. Proposed re-organization of marine fisheries
For reorganisation of the marine sector several actions are proposed. The marine sector shall be supported by a cadre of specialist staff with skill and training in marine resource management. The existing post of Director (Marine) based in Chittagong will be transferred and placed in the headquarters of the Department of Fisheries in Dhaka and shall be responsible for planning, monitoring and supervision of all activities related with coastal and marine resources including management of artisanal, mechanised commercial and industrial trawl sector. The field units in the marine and coastal sector will include the existing conservation and management wing in Chittagong headed by the Deputy Director. This unit will be responsible for regulating fishing operations in the off-shore areas beyond 40 meter depth. The activities will include boat certification, licensing, monitoring and surveillance of fish and shrimp trawlers. 14 entry-level posts of Marine Fisheries Officers (MFOs) will be created in the revenue set up for allocation to the coastal districts with mandate to perform coastal fisheries function. The newly created MFOs will assist the concerned DFOs in all activities related with the management of mechanised commercial boats. Similarly the UFO/SUFOs of the 63 coastal upazilas are required to be mandated to perform all activities related with the management and control of artisanal fisheries. To support these crucial activities 63 entry-level positions of Coastal Fisheries Officers (CFO) shall be created in the regular setup of DOF to assist the concerned SUFO/UFOs in the discharge of functions related with artisanal sector management. Shore-based enforcement programme may be undertaken by upazila setup and data on movement of vessels and use of gear by non-mechanised artisanal sector be collected and monitored. As an interim arrangement for shore-based catch monitoring covering all the major landing centres of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Bhola, Barisal, Patharghata and Khulna be undertaken by the marine survey unit with support of researchers of BFRI and universities for collection, analysis and interpretation of data in respect of stock status for use of the decision makers. Memorandum of Understanding between these agencies be signed and implemented. Shore-based programme shall include: * Determination of species-wise exploitation pattern * Identification of over-exploited and under-exploited stocks * Determination of optimum fishing efforts in different fishing areas * Changes in species composition and abundance * Optimum mesh sizes of various fishing gear * Exploration of cephalopods and other shell-fish resources * Taxonomic study of all marine fauna and preparation of field identification guide * Determination of catch per unit effort of different gear Assessment and monitoring of deep-sea resources are pre-requisite for sustainable management of marine resources. Stock assessment programmes are required to be continued to provide valuable information about the status of different fish and shrimp stocks to the resource managers. For that matter the marine survey unit of the department should continue the stock assessment programme and efforts should be taken to acquire the logistic of a modern survey vessel. AK Ataur Rahman is Editor, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
There had been no study / monitoring of species-wise exploitation pattern of the coastal resources. Stocks of Lakhua (Leptomelanosoma indicum, Fig. 9) and Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) have declined. Results of the past surveys cannot be utilized for management purpose since the fishing effort has substantially (258% since 1975-76) increased. Presently there is better availability of Churi, Maitta, Bom-maitta, Hangor (Scoliodon sorrakowa, Fig.10) in off-shore areas. Decline in CPUE for motorised boats using large meshed gill net (LMD) has been noticed. A large percentage of boats currently remain idle. Shrimp trawlers are experiencing declining CPUE and are currently concentrating in shallow water and come in conflict with artisanal boats. Estuarine set bag nets, push nets and beach seines catch post larvae and juveniles of marine fauna resulting in restriction of growth. Intense exploitation with high fishing effort on limited resource is the present trend. DOF management issues
Management of marine fisheries is highly focused on activities of industrial trawl sector. There is no management and monitoring of artisanal sector which operate from Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barguna and other areas where fishing pressure is increasing alarmingly. Marine wing of DOF has a staff strength of 183 which is only 4.2 per cent of the total (4363) strength. Manpower structure for major work of marine resources conservation, law enforcement, surveillance and monitoring is extremely weak. No manpower is allocated in Cox`s Bazar, Barisal and Khulna region and other coastal areas from where most artisanal fishers operate. Management options
To carry out the job of management and monitoring of marine resources, management responsibility currently vested with the marine wing of DOF in Chittagong be decentralised and allocated to coastal districts and upazilas. Management regimes for trawl sector, mechanised boat sector and non-mechanised artisanal sector shall be re-organised by specifying their fishing gear and area of operation. Marine Ordinance and Rules shall be revised and updated to resolve conflicts among stakeholders on exploitation of limited resources. Trawl sector management
The Deputy Director of marine wing in Chittagong shall be responsible for regulating fishing operations by trawlers in off-shore areas beyond 40 meter depth. Functions of the trawl sector management regime shall be licensing, catch monitoring, surveillance and other activities related with protection of marine reserves, mesh size, closed seasons, breeding grounds protection, pollution control. Mechanised boat management
There are an estimated 21400 mechanised boats (Fig.11) operating marine set bag nets, long lines and drift gill nets in near and off-shore areas of the Bay. Marine Fisheries Rules allow the operation of these boats up to a depth of 40 meters. However, the rules do not prohibit their fishing operation in shallower near-shore waters. These near-shore areas are fished by a large number of non-mechanised artisanal boats using estuarine set bag nets (Fig. 12), beach seines, trammel nets and push nets.. The National Fisheries Policy gives priority to this group of small-scale fishermen and conserves the coastal area for use of small-scale sector. Coastal areas up to 10 km from the shore be reserved and allocated to small-scale artisanal sector while the area from 10 km off the shore up to a depth of 40 meter in the sea be allocated to mechanised boat owners. Artisanal boat management
Artisanal/coastal boats mainly use estuarine set bag nets, beach seines, trammel nets as well as small-mesh gill nets .An estimated 22,000 boats operate in estuaries, river mouth and near-shore areas. National Fisheries Policy gives priority to small-scale fisheries sector and conserves the coastal areas for small-scale fishermen. The following strategies are suggested: Upazila Fisheries Officers of the coastal upazias shall be responsible for management and regulation of non-mechanised fishing boats operated in the estuaries, river mouths and near-shore areas extending up to 10 km in the sea. A Coastal Fisheries Officer (CFO) is proposed to be placed in each of the 47 coastal upazilas for monitoring of boat, gear, catch and marketing of fish. Proposed re-organization of marine fisheries
For reorganisation of the marine sector several actions are proposed. The marine sector shall be supported by a cadre of specialist staff with skill and training in marine resource management. The existing post of Director (Marine) based in Chittagong will be transferred and placed in the headquarters of the Department of Fisheries in Dhaka and shall be responsible for planning, monitoring and supervision of all activities related with coastal and marine resources including management of artisanal, mechanised commercial and industrial trawl sector. The field units in the marine and coastal sector will include the existing conservation and management wing in Chittagong headed by the Deputy Director. This unit will be responsible for regulating fishing operations in the off-shore areas beyond 40 meter depth. The activities will include boat certification, licensing, monitoring and surveillance of fish and shrimp trawlers. 14 entry-level posts of Marine Fisheries Officers (MFOs) will be created in the revenue set up for allocation to the coastal districts with mandate to perform coastal fisheries function. The newly created MFOs will assist the concerned DFOs in all activities related with the management of mechanised commercial boats. Similarly the UFO/SUFOs of the 63 coastal upazilas are required to be mandated to perform all activities related with the management and control of artisanal fisheries. To support these crucial activities 63 entry-level positions of Coastal Fisheries Officers (CFO) shall be created in the regular setup of DOF to assist the concerned SUFO/UFOs in the discharge of functions related with artisanal sector management. Shore-based enforcement programme may be undertaken by upazila setup and data on movement of vessels and use of gear by non-mechanised artisanal sector be collected and monitored. As an interim arrangement for shore-based catch monitoring covering all the major landing centres of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Bhola, Barisal, Patharghata and Khulna be undertaken by the marine survey unit with support of researchers of BFRI and universities for collection, analysis and interpretation of data in respect of stock status for use of the decision makers. Memorandum of Understanding between these agencies be signed and implemented. Shore-based programme shall include: * Determination of species-wise exploitation pattern * Identification of over-exploited and under-exploited stocks * Determination of optimum fishing efforts in different fishing areas * Changes in species composition and abundance * Optimum mesh sizes of various fishing gear * Exploration of cephalopods and other shell-fish resources * Taxonomic study of all marine fauna and preparation of field identification guide * Determination of catch per unit effort of different gear Assessment and monitoring of deep-sea resources are pre-requisite for sustainable management of marine resources. Stock assessment programmes are required to be continued to provide valuable information about the status of different fish and shrimp stocks to the resource managers. For that matter the marine survey unit of the department should continue the stock assessment programme and efforts should be taken to acquire the logistic of a modern survey vessel. AK Ataur Rahman is Editor, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
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