UNB, Dhaka :
Efforts should be made to effectively target the most vulnerable fishers under the compensation scheme of the government aiming to get a better positive result in boosting hilsa production, according to researchers.
“Unlike in many other countries that resort to command-and-control measures to manage their fisheries resources, the government of Bangladesh has introduced a rare example of compensation scheme to alleviate the short-term cost of fishing restrictions borne by poor fisher communities,” IIED senior researcher Dr Essam Yassin Mohammed told a meeting here on Monday.
“What makes it even rarer is that the government develops and funds the scheme without any external assistance,” he added.
The researchers from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) in partnership with the Department of Fisheries
have been working on a research project, funded by the UK’s Darwin Initiative, which aims to reduce threats to hilsa and biodiversity in the lower Meghna basin.
As per the request of Director General of the Department of Fisheries Dr Md Arif Azad, researchers on Monday organised a briefing with senior officials from the department to share knowledge generated through the research since its inception, according to an IIED media release.
Dr Essam Yassin said: “So far, the main lessons we have learned while carrying out our research is that there is a need to align the preference of the fishers with the actual compensation that is provided.”
The cost-effectiveness of the scheme could also be improved by simplifying the lengthy, complex and costly targeting and distribution processes and further efforts should be made to effectively target the most vulnerable fishers, he said.
BCAS senior fellow Liaquat Ali said: “The ideal outcome is that our work with IIED, BAU and the Department of Fisheries will lead to a resilient and healthy hilsa fishery. This should include a recovered fish stock, a sustainable compensation scheme, and improved livelihoods for the fishers.”
Zahid Habib, director of the government-sponsored compensation scheme, said the economic incentive-based hilsa fishery management is a unique approach we introduced to induce behavioural change of fishers to ensure the livelihoods of fishers are improved and hilsa fishery is sustainably managed.
Once abundant in the Bay of Bengal and hundreds of rivers in Bangladesh, India and Myanmar that feed it, the hilsa output declined steeply in numbers since the 1970s, largely because of overfishing.
Efforts should be made to effectively target the most vulnerable fishers under the compensation scheme of the government aiming to get a better positive result in boosting hilsa production, according to researchers.
“Unlike in many other countries that resort to command-and-control measures to manage their fisheries resources, the government of Bangladesh has introduced a rare example of compensation scheme to alleviate the short-term cost of fishing restrictions borne by poor fisher communities,” IIED senior researcher Dr Essam Yassin Mohammed told a meeting here on Monday.
“What makes it even rarer is that the government develops and funds the scheme without any external assistance,” he added.
The researchers from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) in partnership with the Department of Fisheries
have been working on a research project, funded by the UK’s Darwin Initiative, which aims to reduce threats to hilsa and biodiversity in the lower Meghna basin.
As per the request of Director General of the Department of Fisheries Dr Md Arif Azad, researchers on Monday organised a briefing with senior officials from the department to share knowledge generated through the research since its inception, according to an IIED media release.
Dr Essam Yassin said: “So far, the main lessons we have learned while carrying out our research is that there is a need to align the preference of the fishers with the actual compensation that is provided.”
The cost-effectiveness of the scheme could also be improved by simplifying the lengthy, complex and costly targeting and distribution processes and further efforts should be made to effectively target the most vulnerable fishers, he said.
BCAS senior fellow Liaquat Ali said: “The ideal outcome is that our work with IIED, BAU and the Department of Fisheries will lead to a resilient and healthy hilsa fishery. This should include a recovered fish stock, a sustainable compensation scheme, and improved livelihoods for the fishers.”
Zahid Habib, director of the government-sponsored compensation scheme, said the economic incentive-based hilsa fishery management is a unique approach we introduced to induce behavioural change of fishers to ensure the livelihoods of fishers are improved and hilsa fishery is sustainably managed.
Once abundant in the Bay of Bengal and hundreds of rivers in Bangladesh, India and Myanmar that feed it, the hilsa output declined steeply in numbers since the 1970s, largely because of overfishing.
