Bangladesh: protecting the Hilsa from overfishing
Innovative ways to tackle overfishing problems and allow threatened hilsa fish stocks in Bangladesh to recover were devised by IIED and partners.
The Hilsa fish, called ‘Ilish’ in Bengali, is of national importance to Bangladesh. It’s one of the country’s main staple foods.
But increased demand for the fish, which is popular throughout South Asia, has led to pressure on the fish species. Not only is the Hilsa in trouble, but so are the three million fishermen, fisherwomen and fishery workers who directly or indirectly depend on the fish for their livelihood.
Bangladesh recognised that something needed to be done, and the government declared four areas as sanctuaries for the fish. In return for not fishing in these areas affected, fishing communities or households were rewarded with sacks of rice or provided with microcredit to start up small businesses to replace the lost income. This is an example of how economic incentives can be used to conserve fish resources.
However the scheme was not without its flaws. Knowledge gaps highlighted the need for further research into the effects the sanctuaries had on hilsa stocks, and also how the scheme reached and affected those people who depend on the fish for a living, particularly the poorest and most marginalised fishing communities.
What did IIED do?
This project filled this gap by redesigning the system that rewards people who help to protect it. Working in partnership with Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies and Bangladesh Agricultural University and in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries of the government of Bangladesh, IIED worked with affected communities and ecosystems to learn what is working and what is not, and found ways to improve it.
This project helped generate political will to create sustainable, bottom-up solutions that can both preserve hilsa and enhance livelihoods on a regional level. Researchers conducted a preliminary study of the government’s Hilsa Fisheries Management Action Plan (HFMAP), which compensated affected communities during an 11-day ban on fishing hilsa, and had been set up with little community input.
The researchers showed the government how it could improve its approach, making it more efficient, effective and sustainable. At a workshop organised by the partners, the government sat down as an equal partner with a diverse group of stakeholders. And as a
consequence of IIED and its partners establishing trust at an early stage, it was open to modifying policy to increase the social, economic and ecological sustainability of the fishery.
The project changed the government’s perceptions. As a result, it committed to increasing economic incentives to the wider community (increasing the coverage and extending the commitment period), as well as the amount of support to fisher men and women.
Lessening the hardship of complying with fishing bans encouraged the fishers to continue their cooperation to protect the hilsa voluntarily.
- By acknowledging the government’s good intentions and positive results, IIED and its partners established trust, opening the door to constructive suggestions and opportunities for more effective, equitable and sustainable approaches.
- Giving space for stakeholders to share their views built solidarity and partnership, strengthening collaboration. The participation of high-level government officials created buy-in to the process of change, and helped generate and maintain political will.
News and updates
Food and feeding ecology of hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) in Bangladesh’s Meghna River basin
Publication, 01 January 2016
The biophysical assessments of the hilsa fish (Tenualosa ilisha) habitat in the lower Meghna, Bangladesh
Publication, 01 October 2015
Mitigating unintended local economic impacts of the compensation scheme for hilsa management
Publication, 01 February 2015
Economic incentives for sustainable hilsa fish management in Bangladesh: An analysis of the legal and institutional framework
Publication, 01 October 2014
The cost of compensation: Transaction and administration costs of hilsa fish management in Bangladesh
Publication, 01 October 2014
A Review of Conservation Trust Funds for Sustainable Marine Resources Management: Conditions for Success
Publication, 01 June 2014
Direct economic incentives for sustainable fisheries management: the case of Hilsa conservation in Bangladesh
Publication, 01 November 2013
Power, profits and payments for ecosystem services in Hilsa fisheries in Bangladesh: a value chain analysis, Ina Porras, Essam Yassin Mohammed, Liaquat Ali, Md. Shahajat Alib, Md. Belayet Hossain (2017), article in the journal Marine Policy, Elsevier
Leave no one behind: power and profits in hilsa fishery in Bangladesh: a value chain analysis, Ina Porras, Essam Y Mohammed, Liaquat Ali, Md. Shahajat Ali, Md. Belayet Hossain (2016), IIED Working paper
News: UK dives in to save the hilsa (2013), Times of India
News: Project launched to make efforts more effective (2013), Daily Star, India
Hifadhi ya Hilsa ya Uvuvi wa Zaidi ya Uvuvi: Njia za Ubunifu za Kukabiliana na Matatizo ya Uvuvi wa Zaidi na Kuruhusu Hifadhi ya Samaki ya Hilsa ya Bangladesh Iliopigwa Hifadhi ya Uvuvi ya Uvuvi ya Uvuvi ya Uvuvi ya Uvuvi ya Uvuvi ya Uvuvi Samaki wa Hilsa, anayeitwa <unk>Ilish<unk> katika Kibengali, ni wa umuhimu wa kitaifa kwa Bangladesh. Ni mojawapo ya vyakula vikuu vya nchi hiyo. Lakini kuongezeka kwa mahitaji ya samaki, ambao ni maarufu katika Asia Kusini, kumesababisha shinikizo juu ya spishi za samaki. "Hii sio tu ni tatizo la Hilsa, lakini pia ni mamilioni matatu ya wavuvi, wavuvi wanawake na wafanyakazi wa uvuvi ambao moja kwa moja au kwa njia isiyo ya moja kwa moja hutegemea samaki kwa ajili ya maisha yao. """ Bangladesh ilitambua kwamba jambo fulani lilihitaji kufanywa, na serikali ikatangaza maeneo manne kuwa hifadhi za samaki hao. Kwa kubadilishana kwa kutovua samaki katika maeneo hayo yaliyoathiriwa, jamii za wavuvi au kaya zilipewa mifuko ya mchele au kupewa mikopo ndogo ili kuanzisha biashara ndogo ili kuchukua nafasi ya mapato yaliyopotea. Hii ni mfano wa jinsi vichocheo vya kiuchumi vinavyoweza kutumiwa kuhifadhi rasilimali za samaki. Hata hivyo, mpango huo ulikuwa na kasoro zake. """Kutokuwa na ujuzi kumeweka wazi haja ya utafiti zaidi juu ya athari za hifadhi hizo kwa hifadhi za hilsa, na pia jinsi mpango huo ulivyofikia na kuathiri watu ambao hutegemea samaki kwa maisha, haswa jamii maskini na za uvuvi." IIED ilifanya nini? Mradi huu ulijaza pengo hili kwa kubuni upya mfumo ambao unawapa tuzo watu wanaosaidia kulilinda. Kwa kushirikiana na Kituo cha Mafunzo ya Juu cha Bangladesh na Chuo Kikuu cha Kilimo cha Bangladesh, na kwa kushirikiana na Idara ya Uvuvi ya Serikali ya Bangladesh, IIED ilifanya kazi na jamii na mifumo ya ikolojia inayohusika ili kujifunza nini inafanya kazi na nini sio, na kupata njia za kuboresha. Mradi huu ulisaidia kuzalisha mapenzi ya kisiasa ya kuunda suluhisho endelevu, za chini-juu ambazo zinaweza kuhifadhi hilsa na kuboresha njia za maisha katika ngazi ya kikanda. Utafiti huo ulifanyika kwa mujibu wa mpango wa serikali wa Hilsa Fisheries Management Action Plan (HFMAP) ambao ulilipa msamaha kwa jamii zilizohusika wakati wa marufuku ya siku 11 ya kuvua hilsa. Watafiti walionyesha serikali jinsi inaweza kuboresha mbinu yake, kuifanya iwe na ufanisi zaidi, ufanisi na endelevu. Katika semina iliyoandaliwa na washirika, serikali iliketi kama mshirika sawa na kikundi tofauti cha wadau. Kwa sababu ya kuanzishwa kwa ushirikiano na ushirikiano wa kimataifa, IWC imeweka wazi kwa mabadiliko ya sera ili kuongeza uendelevu wa kijamii, kiuchumi na ikolojia wa uvuvi. Mradi huo ulibadilisha maoni ya serikali. Kwa hivyo, ilijitolea kuongeza motisha za kiuchumi kwa jamii pana (kuongeza chanjo na kupanua kipindi cha kujitolea), na vile vile kiasi cha msaada kwa wavuvi wa kiume na wa kike. Kupunguza ugumu wa kufuata marufuku ya uvuvi iliwatia moyo wavuvi kuendelea kushirikiana kulinda hilsa kwa hiari. Kwa kutambua nia nzuri za serikali na matokeo mazuri, IIED na washirika wake walianzisha uaminifu, wakifungua mlango kwa mapendekezo ya kujenga na fursa za mbinu bora, sawa na endelevu. - Kutoa nafasi kwa wadau kushiriki maoni yao kujengwa mshikamano na ushirikiano, kuimarisha ushirikiano. Ushiriki wa maafisa wa ngazi ya juu wa serikali uliunda ushiriki katika mchakato wa mabadiliko, na kusaidia kuzalisha na kudumisha mapenzi ya kisiasa. "Kuchunguza kwa kina hali ya hewa ya bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari ya Bahari. """ Shahajat Alib, Md. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika makala ya ""Mali ya Bahari: Hakuna Mtu Acha nyuma: Nguvu na Faida katika Uvuvi wa Hilsa nchini Bangladesh: Uchambuzi wa Mnyororo wa Thamani"" na ""Msingi wa Uvuvi wa Bahari: Uvuvi wa Bahari: Uvuvi wa Bahari: Uvuvi wa Bahari: Uvuvi wa Bahari: Uvuvi wa Bahari: Uvuvi wa Bahari: Uvuvi wa Bahari: Uvuvi wa Bahari.""" Shahajat Ali, Md. "Belait Hussain, Mkurugenzi wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara ya Usalama wa Idara wa Usalama wa Idara wa Usalama wa Idara wa Usalama wa Idara wa Usalama wa Usalama wa Idara wa Usalama ""I."""