mcs in small-scale fisheriesbobpigo.org/html_site/bbn/march-june08/march-june2008-pages1-52.pdf ·...

Bay o f Benga l News - March - June 2008 1

Workshop in Chittagong MakesRecommendations for Sea Safetyof Fishers in Bangladesh 13

23

32

47

Impact of Climate Change onIndian Marine Fisheries

Regional Consultation onManagement Plan forShark Fisheries

BOBP-IGO’s Governing CouncilHolds Fourth Meeting in Dhaka

Vol. IV Nos. 15-16 March - June 2008

MCS in Small-scale FisheriesRegulating the unregulated

The seas, once - abundant with fish, are drying up. Once - ambitious

fisheries planners are agonising over regulation and management.

Once - carefree fishers are brooding over falling catches and incomes - and their own future. This issue of BBN focuses

on what will best help the seas, the fishers and the planners - MCS (monitoring,

control and surveillance), the key to success in fisheries management.

2 Bay o f Benga l News - March - June 2008

Ed i to r ia l

MCS in Small-scaleFisheries

Regulating theunregulated

Dwindling resources, fallingfish catches and incomes,concerns about

sustainability, calls for a “paradigmshift” in mindset from production tomanagement – the story is universal.

Management is the gospel thatfisheries departments andinstitutions preach but fishers smalland big ignore. Managementpolicies are inadequate; compliancelevels are low; enforcement is poor.

For all three to improve,Monitoring, Control andSurveillance (MCS) has to getbetter. It’s a potent tool ofgovernance in fisheries, but likegovernance itself, it is easier toprofess than to implement.“Monitoring” entails systematic

collection, measurement andanalysis of data on fishing activities.“Control” refers to the conditionslaid down under which resourcescan be harvested. “Surveillance”ensures that fishers and otherplayers comply with laws andregulations.

MCS systems have mainly beendesigned for the industrial fisheriesof developed countries. SpecialMCS systems are needed for small-scale fisheries of developingcountries because of its specialcharacter – open access, multi-species, multi-gear, with thousandsof small low-cost fishing unitsoperating from beaches andlanding fish at numerous small andremote landing centres. The process

MCS (Monitoring, Control and Surveillance) is perhaps the most important three-letter term infisheries today. Without MCS, management – an urgent priority in fisheries everywhere – would beineffective. This editorial discusses some of the issues relating to an effective MCS system forfisheries in countries around the Bay of Bengal.

of setting up an effective MCSsystem is slow, costly, and full ofhurdles.

To help the process, the BOBP-IGOheld a three-day workshop on MCSin fisheries in Chittagong,Bangladesh, in January 2008.Leading fisheries officials fromBOBP-IGO member-countries(Bangladesh, India, Maldives,Sri Lanka) took part, besides expertsand observers. The workshop’s“Chittagong Resolution” urged thatMCS should be integrated into everymember- country’s fisheries policy,its regulatory and managerialframeworks. Education, training andawareness programmes and mediamobilization should be a part of theprocess.



Here are some insights andlearnings from the workshop.

– An MCS system may beperceived as costly, but the costof not managing the resource isfar higher. This said, the MCSsystem should be designed to becost-effective. It shouldencourage compliance, ratherthan demand enforcement.Further, the cost of conservationshould not exceed the economicbenefits from marine resources.The fisheries department or themanagement authority shouldexamine all practical options forsharing the cost of managementwith industry. Likewise,information-sharing among allstakeholders is another practicethat should be institutionalized.

– MCS in small-scale fisheries hasto confront unique constraints:

• Lack of accurate statistics inthe small-scale/ artisanal sector.

• Lack of a scientific informationsystem.

• Inadequate trained manpowerat both management andoperational levels.

• Lack of awareness at thecommunity-level of the needfor MCS.

• A large number of inaccessiblelanding places along the coast.

• Lack of supporting legislationto implement MCS.

• Inadequate funding for MCS.

– A sound MCS system can bebased on either a preventiveapproach or an enforcementapproach. The preventiveapproach entails measures tocontrol access, such as licensing.The enforcement approachentails penalties on law-breakersso that law-abiding is seen as notmerely wise or correct but asadvantageous. But strongpolitical will and governmentsupport are needed for firmnessin enforcing penalties.

– All fishing vessels must beregistered. Procedures forregistration and licencing mustbe streamlined. In some

countries, registration andlicencing are seen ascumbersome multi-windowprocesses. This discouragescompliance. Further, registrationsystems should be uniformthroughout a country.

– A Vessel Monitoring system(VMS) is an essential MCS tool.VMS enables accurate andtimely information about vessellocation and activity throughtransponders on the vessels andassociated paraphernalia.

However, VMS is practical only fora large industrial fishing fleet. Forsmall-scale fisheries, colour codingof fishing fleets on the basis of theirplace of origin and area ofoperation, and display of flags withregistration numbers, are necessarymeasures. Random sampling ofcatch is essential – the enforcingauthority ought to use moderncommunications technology to

make the process effective. Bettertwo-way communication systems inall fishing vessels is essential.

– Limits should be imposed onfishing effort through accessregulations (licensing of fishingvessels, for example), closedseasons, closed areas and gearrestrictions.

– A comprehensive stockassessment is essential to ensuresustainable exploitation ofresources, and also work outoptimum fleet size by area andspecies. This may help reduceconflicts as well.

– The MCS authority should probeand address the reasons for non-compliance with regulations –apart from that of inadequateenforcement. It could be lack ofawareness, inconsistencies inregulations issued by differentministries, a culture wherecommunity solidarity is a

International MCS Network

The InternationalMonitoring, Control,and SurveillanceNetwork for Fisheries-Related Activities(www.imcsnet.org) helps in theglobal battle against IUU (illegal,unreported and unregulated) fishing.Created in 2001, the networkfacilitates collaboration betweenMCS professionals.

Members of the network arenational organizations which havebeen authorized to co-operate withorganizations elsewhere to prevent,deter and eliminate IUU fishing.The network, which now has some50 members, provides training,serves as a forum for professionalsto meet and discuss MCS, andmaintains a database of contacts andinformation for member-countries.

Why is such a network needed?Comprising over 70% of the earth’ssurface, the oceans feed the world.IUU fishing takes place in alloceans; while fisheries-relatedcorruption and crime occur on land.Identifying and pursuing criminals

over large areas requires resourcesand effort beyond the reach of anysingle nation. Developing nationsare particularly vulnerable toincursions in their waters.

The Network’s objectives:

• Efficient information exchange.

• Preparing analyses and studiesrelated to IUU fishing.

• Recognizing the dangers of IUUfishing and seeking commonsolutions.

• Facilitating communicationwith members and between them.

• Develop capabilities amongmember nations to work regionallyand globally to prevent, deter andeliminate IUU fishing.

• Training of MCS officials inmember nations to improve theireffectiveness, skills and capacity toaddress IUU fishing.

The Network conducted the firstGlobal Fisheries EnforcementTraining Workshop in KualaLumpur in 2005 and the second inTrondheim, Norway, in August2008.


Paintings by school children in India,Maldives and Sri Lanka depicting post-tsunami reconstruction.

stronger force than governmentedict.

– Legislation on MCS in theregion is either poor orinadequate. It should be revised.It is widely believed thatfisheries laws are often complex,difficult to understand andimplement. Those concernedshould consult a wide range ofstakeholders in formulating lawsthat are simple and clear andrelatively easy to enforce.

– Co-operation and support fromadvanced countries for an MCSsystem should be regarded as apriority – on technology, onsearch-and-rescue systems, onstrengthening the Coast Guard,on curbing illegal fishing, on avessel monitoring or vesseltracking system. The Code ofConduct for ResponsibleFisheries suggests such co-operation.

– MCS systems must be local-specific, and take account ofprevailing cultural, financial andhuman factors. The focus shouldbe on improving data collection,strengthening local awareness ofthe need for conservation andmanagement, and encouragingfishers as whistle-blowers whowill report infringements.

– MCS has to be a co-operativeeffort with industry and theentire fisher community. It can’tsucceed if it’s just government-driven. Decentralizingmanagement, and movingtowards co-management andcommunity management, is theway to the future.

– CBFM (community-basedfisheries management) structuresat the community, district,regional and national levelsshould be tapped for MCSactivities. In fact, fishers shouldbe able to help enforce MCS,with NGOs serving asfacilitators, if an appropriatelegal, management and financialframework is devised.

– The MCS authority couldconduct a micro-level exercise to

determine the norms forscientific and environment-friendly MCS, depending on thetype of craft, fish species, timeof the year and gear type. Thisshould be carried out andpublished. Accordingly, an area-specific management plan couldbe set out.

– Illegal fishing should becombated through port statemeasures such as inspection ofgear and catch onboard arrivingvessels, and inspection ofdocuments.

– “Sustainability” may haveneither meaning nor relevancefor artisanal fishers who livefrom day to day. It would berelevant, however, if fishers areprovided with useful information– on fish abundance by area,weather forecasts, market prices,safety at sea, etc. In Maldives,for example, fishing forecastinformation is provided free ofcharge exclusively to registeredvessels.

– Regional cooperation canstrengthen understanding andknowledge on all MCS-relatedissues and lower costs as well.The ‘Chittagong Resolution’ onMCS is a good beginning andmust be taken further.

– Ultimately, MCS confersmanifold benefits that go farbeyond resources. For small-scale fisheries, it could meanmore accurate resource mapping;a better insurance deal; greatersafety; more stable incomes;greater employmentopportunities and a win-winsituation for all.

At the national level, a strong MCSin fisheries could even enable moreeffective operations againstterrorism, drug-peddling, armssmuggling and other social evils.

– Y S Yadava


CICEF - India’s Nodal Agencyfor Development ofFishery HarboursWhen was CICEF set up andwhy? What is the mandate andvision of CICEF?

On January 10, 1968, the Pre-investment Survey of FishingHarbours (PISFH, the precursor toCentral Institute of CoastalEngineering for Fishery or in shortCICEF) was set up in Bangalore bythe Ministry of Agriculture incollaboration with the FAO for aperiod of five years. It conductedstudies and site surveys fordevelopment of minor fishingharbours, advised on siteconstruction, and helped developthe fisheries potential of majorcommercial ports.

After FAO assistance ceased, theorganization received technicalassistance (equipment andconsultancy services) from January1974 for two-and-a-half years fromthe Swedish InternationalDevelopment Authority (SIDA).

In August 1983, PISFH wasrenamed the Central Institute ofCoastal Engineering for Fishery inview of changing trends in maritimefisheries. The Institute was asked tohelp develop brackishwater fishfarms in cooperation with stategovernments under a UNDP project,in addition to existing activities.

The Institute’s work in coastalaquaculture received a further thrustthrough UNDP/FAO assistance forfive years from 1986 to 1991 –mainly in the form of equipmentand consultants for development ofshrimp farms and hatcheries. TheInstitute also implemented theWorld Bank-assisted Shrimp andFish Culture Project in WestBengal, Orissa and Andhra Pradeshfor eight years (1992 to 2000).

Presently, under the Department ofAnimal Husbandry, Dairying &Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture,CICEF carries out the entire gamutof activities relating to fisheryharbours – reconnaissance surveys,investigations, drawings andconstruction, advice on engineeringand economics, monitoringconstruction.

Vision

The socio-economic context ofCICEF’s operations is challenging.Nearly 3.57 million fisherfolkoperate from India’s 3 272 coastalfishing villages and 1 343 fishlanding centres. The fishing fleet isvaried – more than one lakhtraditional craft, more than 76 000

motorised traditional craft, nearly60 000 mechanised fishing vessels.

The fishing industry is undergoing anotable transformation – in the sizeof mechanised fishing vessels – tomake them suitable for offshore/deep-sea fishing. Statistics show thatmechanised fishing vessels havebeen increasing annually at the rateof 10 percent.

The landing and berthing facilitiescreated so far in the country canaccommodate only 25 percent of theactive fishing fleet. Result:overcrowding and congestion. Someof the harbours lack maintenance,many of the facilities are in utterdisrepair because of overcrowding.With fish importing countries

Mr K Omprakash, 59, has been Director of CICEF from August 1995.A graduate in civil engineering (University of Madras), he has a post-graduatediploma in hydraulic engineering (Delft University of Technology,Netherlands). His experience in marine fisheries spans 35 years. He hasspecialized in fishery harbours and has served as fishery harbour consultantto Iran under an FAO-sponsored TCDC (Technical Co-operation amongDeveloping Countries) programme.

Mr Omprakash has receivedtraining in brackishwateraquaculture at the NationalBrackishwater AquacultureTechnology Research Centre atPagbilao, Quezon, Philippines(Sept-Oct 1991). He also did ashort course on shrimp farmmanagement at the AsianInstitute of Technology,Bangkok (May 1994). Hevisited Japan in April 1998 andJanuary 1999 in connection with the procurement of a dredger as part ofJapanese grant-in-aid.

Joining CICEF as Assistant Director in 1972, he rose to the position of Directorin 1995. He also did two short stints elsewhere in government during thisperiod – as Deputy Commissioner (Fishery Harbour) in the Ministry ofAgriculture (1992-94) and as Chief Engineer in Inland Waterways Authorityof India, Ministry of Surface Transport (1994-95).

Fisher ies Ins t i tu t ion

CICEF - India’s Nodal Agencyfor Development ofFishery Harbours


imposing stringent internationalstandards on hygiene, HACCP andISO 9000, better harbours and moreharbours are imperative.

Natural catastrophes such asdepressions, storms and cyclonesare regular occurrences on both theeast and west coasts. Cyclones areparticularly frequent, leading toheavy loss of life and damage tofishing vessels. This underlines theneed for more sheltered harbours forfishing boats.

Existing fishery harbours –41 commissioned, 20 underconstruction – are grosslyinsufficient for the ever-increasingfishing fleet. The number ofharbours should be at least tripledduring the next 10 to 15 years. It isalso necessary to rehabilitateharbours and fish landing centres(FLCs) that have become defunct orhave outlived their useful life span.

CICEF is presently identifyingpotential sites for locating fisheryharbours and FLCs in the variousmaritime States and UnionTerritories (UTs).

Given reasonable facilities, theFLCs and minor fishery harbourscould contribute significantly to theoverall national economy and totheir respective regions and couldenable the socio-economic uplift offisher populations.

What is the staff strength ofCICEF? What are its facilities?

The Institute is headed by theDirector. The sanctioned staffstrength is 47 (30 technical,11 non-technical, 6 administrativepersonnel). They belong to threedivisions – technical, economic,administrative.

The Institute’s inter-disciplinaryteam comprises engineers andeconomists with specialisedknowledge and experience relatingto pre-investment studies,engineering and economicinvestigations, techno-economicfeasibility reports for developmentof fishery harbours, FLCs andbrackishwater shrimp farms.

The Institute has had its ownbuilding in Bangalore since August2003, situated on 0.755 acre of land,with a built-up area of 1 472 sq. m.The Institute is well-equipped interms of equipment and otherparaphernalia to conduct surveysand technical investigations.

What have been the foremostachievements of CICEF in recentyears, including support for post-tsunami reconstruction?

Fishery Harbours

• Till the end of March 2008, theInstitute had carried outengineering and economicinvestigations for thedevelopment of fishery harbours/FLCs at 76 sites and preparedproject reports for 75 sites.

• On the basis of project reportsprepared by the Institute, theMinistry of Agriculture hassanctioned 61 fishery harbours.Of these 41 have beencommissioned and 20 are undervarious stages of construction.

• The Institute has monitored theconstruction of fishery harboursand FLCs sanctioned by theMinistry of Agriculture under aCentrally Sponsored Scheme. Ithas provided technical guidanceto the maritime States/UTs inspeedy project implementation.

Fish Landing Centres

The Institute has identified sites forthe development of FLCs. Reportshave been prepared for 10 sites inTamil Nadu, four in AndhraPradesh, three in Kerala, 20 inAndaman and Nicobar islands. Thegovernments concerned are takingaction on the basis of these reports.

Master Plan

Detailed master plans for fisheryharbours and FLCs have beenprepared for all maritime States andUTs and submitted as visiondocuments to them and to theMinistry of Agriculture.

Brackishwater Shrimp Farms

• The Institute has so farreconnoitered 66 200 ha ofbrackishwater shrimp farm area.Investigations were carried out in15 584 ha of water spread area inthe maritime States of Gujarat,Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, TamilNadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissaand West Bengal.

• During the period 1986 -1991,four pilot brackishwater shrimpfarms and a shrimp seed hatcherywere developed under UNDPassistance.

• Under the World Bank-assistedShrimp and Fish Culture Project,the Institute served as a NodalAgency for the development of

CICEF in action.


brackishwater shrimp farms. Itwas associated with four projectsin West Bengal (Canning,Dighirpar, Digha and DadanpatraBar), one project in Orissa(Jagatjore/Banapada) and oneproject in Andhra Pradesh(Bhairavapalem).

Tsunami Rehabilitation

The tsunami struck in December2004. The Institute inspectedaffected fishery harbours and FLCsduring January 2005 in Tamil Nadu,Kerala and Puducherry and a reportwas submitted to the Ministry ofAgriculture.

Please tell us about the foreigncollaborations of CICEF.

The Institute has received technicalassistance and expert consultancyservices for the development offishery harbours and forbrackishwater shrimp farms andhatcheries from i) the FAO/UN,ii) SIDA, iii) UNDP andiv) World Bank.

How has CICEF been able tocontribute to food and nutritionalsecurity, human resourcedevelopment, and policydevelopment in marine fisheries?Following the creation of fisheryharbours and FLCs through CICEF,motorised and mechanised fishingvessels have been landing their fishmore systematically and

hygienically. International standardssuch as HACCP and ISO 9000 arebeing applied strictly. Inconsequence, the quality of fish hasimproved and spoilage has beenreduced. This has contributedsignificantly to the nationaleconomy in the areas of food andnutrition. Employment opportunitieshave gone up manifold. Engineershave been trained to conductinvestigations and prepare projectproposals.

As regards policy development onmarine fisheries, the Ministry ofAgriculture is implementing acentrally sponsored scheme on“Development of Marine Fisheries,Infrastructure and Post- HarvestOperations”. Establishment offishery harbours and FLCs is part ofthis scheme. The objectives of thescheme are:

• Providing infrastructure facilitiesfor safe landing, berthing andunloading of fish catches ofmechanised fishing vessels,traditional fishing craft and deepsea fishing vessels.

• Construction of new majorfishing harbours in associationwith maritime StateGovernments, Port Trusts andUTs.

On the basis of techno-economicfeasibility reports (TEFRs) prepared

by CICEF, the Ministry hasaccorded administrative sanctionand provided central assistance asfollows:

(i) 50% of the project cost tomaritime State Governmentsand 100% to UTs for theconstruction of minor fisheryharbours and FLCs;

(ii) 100% assistance to maritimeStates, UTs, Port Trusts andFishermen Associations forconstruction of major fisheryharbours;

(iii) 50% assistance for theconstruction of minor fisheryharbours and FLCs on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis;

(iv) 50% assistance to maritimeStates and Port Trusts for repairand renovation/modernizationof existing fishery harbours andFLCs, and 100% assistance toUTs.

What are some of the majorconstraints CICEF faces?

Technical staff trained earlier inIndia and abroad have either retiredor are likely to retire shortly.Technical skills now available withthe Institute are limited; there is ashortage of technical manpower.At present, the Institute undertakesonly engineering and economicinvestigations. There is no expertiseavailable for environmental andmathematical model studies toenable complete project reports.Such studies are being carried outby maritime States/ UTs throughconsultants and research institutes.Consultants are also being used forthe development of fishery harboursand FLCs. Some maritime Stateshave acquired expertise in theformulation of project proposals.

What future do you envisagefor CICEF?

CICEF has a bright future. We areequipped to face the challengeswe are entrusted with in thedevelopment of fishery harboursand landing centres in the country.

CICEF in the field.


Fifty-one persons from21 national, regional andinternational fisheries

organizations took part in theNational Workshop on Monitoring,Control and Surveillance (MCS) inMarine Fisheries in Bangladesh, heldon June 7-8, 2008 in Cox’s Bazar.

It was organized by the Danida-funded project “StrengtheningInstitutional Capacity of the DoF(SICD)” in coordination with theMinistry of Fisheries and Livestock(MoFL), and the BOBP-IGO.

Mr Nasiruddin Md Humayun,Project Director, SICD Project,welcomed participants. Describingthe current crisis in global fisheries,Mr Humayun said that fish stockshad got depleted in many parts ofthe world because of over-exploitation, habitat destruction,industrial pollution and waste-dumping into marine waters.

In response, fisheries authoritieshave been regulating the fishingfleet; introducing gear restrictions,closed areas and closed seasons; andregistering and licensing small-scalefishing operations, saidMr Humayun.

The National Fisheries Strategyformulated by Bangladesh in 2006could be effective only if MCS wasreviewed and strengthened,Mr Humayun said.

Mr Humayun thanked the chiefguest, Mr Parikshit DattaChoudhury (Joint Secretary, MoFL)and the chairperson – Mr MdRafiqul Islam, Director General,Department of Fisheries (DoF) – fortheir support to the workshop. He

thanked Dr Yugraj Singh Yadava,Director, BOBP-IGO for technicaland financial assistance to theworkshop; the Royal DanishEmbassy, Bangladesh, for financialsupport and cooperation; andMr Bundit Chokesanguan, Director(Training), SEAFDEC.

Mr Sajjadul Hassan, DeputyCommissioner, Cox’s BazaarDistrict, Bangladesh, said that thepotential of marine fisheries inBangladesh was huge. Effectivemanagement was essential to tap theresources in a sustainable manner.“While doing so, the occupationalhazards faced by the fishers need tobe minimized”, said Mr Hasan.

Declaring the workshop open,Mr Parikshit Datta Choudhury(Joint Secretary Fisheries), said thatMCS in fisheries had been neglectedin Bangladesh. An effective MCSprogramme was needed to strike abalance between conservation andsustainable exploitation.

The proposed action plan should bebased on the Chittagong Resolutionadopted by the BOBP-IGO member-countries in January 2008.

Mr Md Rafiqul Islam, DirectorGeneral, DoF, said that capturefisheries in Bangladesh werestagnating because of lack of areliable database, over-exploitationof some stocks and under-exploitation of others, inadequateMCS, plus the impact of globalwarming and climate change.

He suggested demarcation of theEEZ of Bangladesh. An effectiveinformation network; a central database for information on the weatherand on fauna and flora; a strongMCS system; management plans forshared stocks; marine parks; jointstock survey programmes;protection of nursery grounds; and aban on capture of juveniles of finand shellfish species – these weresome other suggestions.

Dr Yugraj Singh Yadava made thekeynote presentation on

MCS in Mar ine F isher ies

Bangladesh National WorkshopAdopts Action Plan onMonitoring, Control andSurveillance

Participants at the National Workshop on MCS.

Bangladesh National WorkshopAdopts Action Plan onMonitoring, Control andSurveillance


“Monitoring, control andsurveillance in small-scale fisheries- guiding principles and practices”.Stressing the uniqueness of fisheriesto the national economy ofBangladesh, Dr Yadava said thatsome 1.77 million fishers wereactive in the primary sector and67 300 in the secondary sector.Fisheries contributed significantlyto the national GDP and to exportearnings.

He said that the coastal marinefishery portrays a picture ofunregulated access, overcapacity,low catch per unit effort and fishingrights conflicts. Most fishingcommunities rely almost entirely onfishing for their livelihood, and lackalternatives. A large proportion offish stocks -- both marine and inland– are fully exploited, over-exploitedor depleted. While the commercialtrawl fishery is regulated to a certainextent, the small-scale/ artisanalfishery is almost unregulated.

The DoF awards fishing licensesonly to registered boats. But it’s theMMD that registers the boats andonly about 10 percent of themechanized boats get registered.This means that a large number ofboats are unlicenced and notmonitored. The DoF has nomagisterial power; fisheriespersonnel depend on the executiveand the Police Department toenforce the Fisheries Act.

The MMD is ill-equipped to enforceexisting legislation, as it has onlytwo offices all along the coast. TheBangladesh Coast Guard, set up in1994, is mandated to protectnational interests in the maritimezones of Bangladesh and preventillegal fishing. But the Coast Guardis ill equipped as well, it needs moremanpower, more patrol boats, moreequipment.

Small-scale fishing communities areilliterate, and provisions of theFisheries Acts and Regulations areunknown to many of them. Aneffective and implementable legalframework is a pre-requisite tomanagement and conservation offisheries resources.

The main constraints to MCS inBangladesh are lack of accuratefisheries statistics and a scientificinformation system; inadequatetrained manpower at bothmanagement and operational levels;lack of awareness at the community-level of the need for MCS; a largenumber of inaccessible landingplaces; lack of supportinglegislation to implement MCS; amultiplicity of agencies and lack ofwell-defined roles and jurisdictions;and inadequate funding for MCS.

Community motivation is the mostimportant step for effectiveimplementation of an MCS policy,Dr Yadava said. Joint effort by allstakeholders and coordinationamong them is essential; MCS can’tbe practiced in isolation by theGovernment.

Dr Yadava said that the ChittagongResolution of January 2008 on MCShad recommended action plans forimplementing MCS and forstrengthening national agencies.The current workshop is aimed atformulating such an action plan toguide MCS in Bangladesh.

Dr Yadava called for a paradigmshift – from a regime of open accessin marine fisheries to limited andcontrolled access, and allocation ofrights to user groups. Small-scalefisheries can benefit immediatelyfrom successful MCS measuresthrough (i) effective demarcation offishing areas, (ii) data strengthening,(iii) target fishing through resourcemapping, (iv) sea-safety,(v) reflection of their interests infishing policy, (vi) stabilization ofcatch per boat and hence income,and (vii) effective land and sea-based monitoring systems.

Mr Md Kabir Ahmed, DistrictFisheries Officer, Cox’s Bazaar,proposed a vote of thanks at the endof the inaugural session.

Technical PresentationsMr Bundit Chokesanguan, Director(Training) at SEAFDEC, Thailand,provided an overview of MCS infisheries in Southeast Asia. He saidthat small-scale fisheries were

dominant in the region, barringThailand, where industrial fisherieshad grown faster.

Every coastal state in Southeast Asiafaces theft of resources from Illegal,Unreported and Unregulated (IUU)fishing made possible by lack ofMCS, the speaker said. IUU fishingundermines efforts to conserve andmanage fish stocks. If this practiceis not curbed, vulnerable stockscan’t be rebuilt, said Mr Bundit.

He said a Regional Plan of Action toPromote Responsible FishingPractices – including combatingIUU fishing – had already beendrafted by Southeast Asiancountries. A workshop held in Bali,Indonesia from 4 to 6 March 2008had made recommendations asfollows:• Formalize a MCS sub-regional

network;• Identify and assess key MCS gaps

within the sub-region;• Develop licensing and

authorization processes for fishingand support vessels;

• Develop cooperative surveillanceexercises;

• Develop sub-regional hot pursuitguidelines;

• Coordinate and integrate allrelevant national agencies in MCSactivities;

• Focus on mechanisms to improvethe collection and analysis ofinformation on fishing vessels,catches, trans-boundary marketdestinations of catches; and

• Strengthen institutional and humancapacity building across the region.

Mr Bundit said that depletion of fishstocks, overfishing, conflictsbetween resource users, ignoranceand violations of laws andregulations by fishermen were someof the main problems of coastal andmarine fisheries in the region.In efforts to improve fisheriesmanagement by establishing MCSsystems, some countries hadsucceeded, others had failed.

The failures might have been due tothe ‘common property’characteristic of fishery resources,lack of strict implementation of


MCS policies, shortage ofmanpower and equipment to enforcelaws, and lack of coordinationbetween government agenciesconcerned, said Mr Bundit.

Dr Md Giasuddin Khan, SeniorFisheries Specialist, WorldFishCenter, Dhaka, discussed the “Statusof Coastal and Marine Fishing Fleetin Bangladesh and Preparedness fora Monitoring, Control andSurveillance Regime”. He said thata short study undertaken by TheWorldFish Center at the request ofthe government confirmed that fishstocks are continuously declining.

Dr Khan said that over the last20 years a big shift had occurred inthe composition of catches of finfishtrawlers. In 1984-1986, majorcommercial species caught werewhite grunters, croakers, catfish,breams, snappers and hair tails.Since 2005-2006 these have mostlybeen replaced by low valued specieslike acetes shrimp, crab juvenilesand Bombay duck.

Surveys during 1984-1986 showedthat 20 species had contributed tothe main landings. In 2005-2006,this number had declined to 12.More valuable and longer-livedspecies were being replaced bysmaller, short-lived pelagic fishspecies, said Dr Khan. Destructivefishing practices must be phased outand precautionary managementapproaches should be implementedwherever necessary.

On marine catch monitoring,Dr Khan called for development oflocal reporting systems, especiallyfor artisanal fisheries. Mechanismsshould be instituted to ensure properselectivity in fishing gear andfishing operations, minimization ofwastes and discards, reduction incatch of non-target species.Registration of all mechanized boatsshould be completed urgently. Giventhe limited capacity to mount sea-borne inspection, efforts shouldfocus on land-based inspection.

Dr Khan said that the marinefisheries policy should be revised toreflect both the precautionary

approach and the ecosystemapproach (which recognizes thatfisheries will impact the biologicaldiversity of the wider ecosystem).Inter-sectoral conflicts should beminimized. Co-management andcommunity-based fisheriesmanagement should be encouraged.

Commander Afazur RahmanChowdhury of the BangladeshCoast Guard (BCG) made apresentation on “Present status oflegal support to implement MCS inthe marine fisheries sector inBangladesh”.

He provided an overview ofinternational laws such as the 1982United Nations Convention on theLaw of the Sea, the FAOCompliance Agreement and the1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement.He also discussed the 1995 FAOCode of Conduct for ResponsibleFisheries (CCRF), which served asan instrument of reference to helpStates establish or improve the legaland institutional framework forresponsible fisheries.

Mr Chowdhury said that manylegislative instruments were alreadyin force in Bangladesh to supportMCS, directly or indirectly. Thesewere ordinances, acts and rulesadministered by various ministries.The Marine Fisheries Ordinance,1983, was the base law andregulatory instrument for marinefisheries in Bangladesh. Itauthorized the government tospecify the types, classes andnumbers of fishing vessels that couldbe deployed in Bangladesh waters.

Mr Chowdhury said that marinefisheries legislation had beengenerally implemented for industrialfishing trawlers. Implementation forthe artisanal sector had been achallenge. The socio-economicconditions of fishers were a primarycause, but lack of responsibility,interference of pressure groups andlack of trained manpower in marinefisheries were other factors.

During Session II, the workshopdivided itself into four groups todiscuss four subjects.

A. Fish Stock Assessment

• Monitoring of catch and stockassessment should be carried outregularly. The provisions underthe Bangladesh MarineFisheries Capacity Building(BMFCB) Project should beutilized for the purpose. Aftercompletion of the BMFCBProject, the Department ofFisheries (DoF) should carry outthis function with theinvolvement of the LocalStakeholder Committees(LSCs).

• Resource survey(s) should beorganized, for which theGovernment may consideradditional funding. Suchsurvey(s) may take into accountboth maximum sustainable yieldand maximum economic yield.

• Marine fish landings should beestimated on the basis of astatistically designedprogramme. To achievesatisfactory results, it needs tobe ensured that fish catches arelanded at designated fishlanding points (FishingHarbours or Fish LandingCentres).

B. Optimization of Fishing Fleet

• A thorough review of themechanized and non-mechanized fishing fleet shouldbe undertaken. Based on thepresent marine fish landings,available data on catch per uniteffort and other biologicalparameters, the fishing fleet(both mechanized and non-mechanized and trawlers)should be adjusted and excesscapacity phased out in a time-bound manner.

• The 31 numbers of ‘under trial’fishing vessels operating atpresent must be banned. The50 numbers of modern fishing

Action Plan forImplementations of MCS in

Bangladesh


trawlers already licensed shouldcommence fishing in the deepsea.

C. Registration and Licensing ofFishing boats

• All unregistered and unlicensedfishing boats should beregistered/ licensed in a time-bound manner.

• The dual system of registrationof fishing boats by theMercantile Marine Department(MMD) and licensing by theDoF should be discontinued.There should be one-stopservice point (single window)for registration and licensingunder the control of DoF.

• The registration/ license feestructure should be reviewed.

D. Zonation of Fishing Grounds

• No fishing should be permittedin the coastal waters up to5 meter depth/ 3 nautical mile(NM) distance. Non-mechanized fishing vessels maybe allowed to fish beyond5 meter depth and up to40 meters. The zonation shouldtake into consideration aspectssuch as the size of the fishingvessel, gear to be deployed andthe engine horsepower.

E. Review of FisheriesLegislation

• A thorough review of theexisting fisheries and supportinglegislation should be undertakenand necessary amendmentsshould be proposed keeping inview the requirements ofMonitoring, Control andSurveillance (MCS).

• The review may also considerharmonization of the fisheriesand supporting legislation withthe global fisheries instrumentsand other documents aimed atsustainable development of thefisheries resources.

• To make the implementationeffective, harmonization of thelegislation may be considered.

F. Policy and ManagementFrameworks

• The exiting policies on fisheriesdevelopment may be reviewedand, if necessary revised to meetthe local requirements and alsoto confirm to the globalinstruments on sustainablefisheries development.

• The good practices adopted inthe neighbouring countries mayalso be considered whilereviewing the fisheries policies.

• A comprehensive marinefisheries managementframework should beformulated for all commerciallyimportant fin and shellfishspecies. Implementation of themanagement framework alreadydeveloped for species such ashilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) shouldbe strictly enforced.

G. Institutional Strengtheningand Human ResourcesDevelopment

• Capacity building of officials ofthe DoF, MMD and otherconcerned organizations in bothgovernment and non-government sectors should beinitiated in a planned manner.A GAP Analysis may beundertaken to arrive at the actualneeds of capacity building andinstitutional strengthening.

• Strengthening of the fisheriesinstitutions and other agenciesconcerned with theimplementation of MCS(e.g. Coast Guard, Navy) shouldbe taken up in a time-boundmanner. This should alsoinclude strengthening of theorganizational set up of theDoF at the coastal District andUpazila levels.

• The use of informationtechnology should be steppedup in implementation of MCS.The Geographical InformationSystem established in theDoF should be furtherstrengthened.

• Skills and capacities of fishergroups and community-basedorganizations should be builtthrough short-term and highlyfocused vocational trainings andhands-on workshops.

• Fisher communities in all thecoastal districts should bemobilized to participate andassist in the MCS activities.The print and electronic mediashould be made use of to thefullest extent in creatingawareness on MCS and itsobjectives.

• Cost-effective approaches suchas ‘co-management’ ofresources should be promotedto achieve the objectives.Stakeholder consultationsshould be initiated to decide onthe modalities of co-management approach for MCSand related activities.

• Implementation of MCS shouldensure that the livelihoods ofsmall-scale fishers aresafeguarded.

• The use of MCS should not berestricted to enforcement alone,but for providing multiplebenefits to the fisher communitysuch as promoting safety-at-sea,reducing post-harvest losses andpromoting hygiene andsanitation in boat and at landingand berthing sites.

H. Coordination and Networking

• An inter-disciplinary highpowered inter-ministerialcommittee should be constitutedto coordinate the activities andalso monitor the progressthrough performance indicators.Such a committee should becoordinated by the Ministry ofFisheries and Livestock.

• Formal and effective linkagesshould be established betweenthe key players - DoF/ Navy/Coast Guard/ MMD forimplementation of the MCSprogramme.


Group I: Registration and Licensingof Fishing Boats, Demarcation ofZones, Colour Coding,Communication and SurveillanceInfrastructure: This Grouprecommended that a one-stopservice point be fixed forregistration and licensing of fishingvessels; fishing zones for differentcategories of vessels should bedemarcated; a no-fishing zoneshould be declared up to 5 meter/3 nautical mile; non-mechanizedvessels should be allowed to fish inthe 5 - 40 meter depth zone;the number of shore stations shouldbe increased; the MMD shouldmount a vessel registration drive.

Group II: Estimation of FishingCapacity, Maximum SustainableYield and Optimization of FishingFleet: This Group suggested that allcategories of fishing vessels bereduced in number; the dual systemfor licensing/ registration of fishingboats should be stopped; the ‘ZamanCommittee Report’ on trawlersshould be implemented.

Group III: Governance, Policy andLegislative Support to MCS: ThisGroup suggested that the FisheriesPolicy document of Bangladeshshould be revised in conformitywith the CCRF; good practices fromthe experiences of neighboringcountries should be incorporated inthe policy; a high poweredministerial committee should beformed with DOF as lead agency tostrengthen implementation of MCSand plug loopholes.

Group IV: Institutions, HumanResource Development and Role ofNon- Governmental andCommunity-Based Organizations:This Group suggested bettercoordination between marinefisheries agencies; institutionalstrengthening; vocational and short-term training for fishers throughoutthe coastal belt; utilization of printand electronic media to createmanagement and MCS awareness.

The Group presentations generatedmuch discussion. There wasunanimity on several of the pointslisted below:

• A cadre of enforcement officersshould be created from the existingmanpower.

• Strong coordination is neededamong agencies such as MoFL,DoF, Navy and Coast Guard inimplementing MCS.

• Registration of fishing vesselsshould be accorded top priority andmodalities worked out by the DoF/MoFL and the MMD. Theregistration procedure should betransparent.

• The fishing fleet must be restrictedto optimum size and zones shouldbe set up for different categories offishing boats to help reduceconflicts and promotesustainability.

• A manual on MCS should beprepared. It will set out proceduresfor implementing agencies andtheir work, funds needed, time-frame, etc.

• Should trawlers fish only in depthsbeyond 40m? Should zoningdecisions be made on the basis ofdepth of the waters or distancefrom the shore? The questionsshould be discussed.

• The Bangladesh Navy and CoastGuard must be strengthened bothto implement MCS and assistfishers at sea.

• Log books should be mandatoryfor fishing boats.

• Pollution from land-based sourcesis increasing and should bechecked.

• Landing centres should bemaintained and managed better,and all fishing vessels must land atthese centres. New landing centresshould be established.

• A one-stop service should beprovided for registration of fishingvessels; MMD should be given thisresponsibility.

• Mesh size regulations should allowfish at least one opportunity tobreed and propagate.

• No fishing should be permitted inbreeding grounds such asmangroves.

• Catch-based surveys should beinitiated prior to stock assessment.

• The services of the BangladeshSpace Research and RemoteSensing Organization should beused to identify potential fishingzones.

• Colour coding should be carriedout for different categories offishing vessels.

• New surveillance check postsshould be set up along the coastline(at places such as Borguna,Satkhira, Patherghata, Bagerhat,etc.)

• Fisher community participation inMCS should be encouraged tofoster the feeling of communityownership of resources, also tomake MCS cost-effective.

On the basis of therecommendations made by theworkshop, a draft Action Plan onImplementation of MCS inBangladesh was presented byDr Yadava. It was discussed and afinal Action Plan adopted by theworkshop (see page 10-11).Dr Yadava described the Action Planas comprehensive. Itsimplementation would helpsustainable development of marinefisheries resources in Bangladesh.

In the workshop’s concludingsession, Mr Rafiqul Islam,chairperson, said that the ActionPlan would have to be implementedin a phased manner. A group wouldbe constituted to prioritize actionsand identify the modalities forimplementation.

Mr Nasiruddin Md Humayunproposed a vote of thanks. He saidthe Royal Embassy of Denmarkwould be willing to supportdevelopment of sound policies onMCS through the SICD Project.


Safe ty a t Sea

Forty-nine persons took part ina workshop on “Safety at Seafor Small-scale Fisheries,”

held in Chittagong, Bangladesh, on21 and 22 January, 2008. It wasorganized by the BOBP-IGO inco-operation with the Food andAgriculture Organization (FAO) ofthe United Nations and the Ministryof Fisheries and Livestock (MoFL),Bangladesh.

The participants represented theMoFL; the Department of Fisheries(DoF); the Bangladesh University ofEngineering and Technology;the Navy and Coast Guard; theBangladesh Fisheries ResearchInstitute; the Mercantile MarineDepartment; the BangladeshMaritime Training Institute; theBangladesh Fisheries DevelopmentCorporation; the Fisher Associationand Cooperative Societies; theBoatbuilders Association;representatives of boatyards; experts;the FAO and the BOBP-IGO.

Mr Syed Ataur Rahman, Secretary,MoFL, presided over the inauguralsession. Mr Parikshit Datta

Workshop in Chittagong MakesRecommendations for Sea Safetyof Fishers in Bangladesh

Choudhury, Joint Secretary(Fisheries), MoFL, chaired theremainder of the workshop.

Welcoming participants,Dr Y S Yadava, Director, BOBP-IGO, pointed out that while safety atsea is a problem with small-scalefishers everywhere, it is even moreserious in Bangladesh because it is afrequent victim of natural calamities.He said the global programme onSafety at Sea and its South Asiancomponent would catalyse efforts toimprove the safety and well-being ofsmall-scale fishers in the region.

Mr Md Mokammel Hossain,Director-General, DoF, said thatafter the devastation caused bycyclone SIDR, discussions havetaken place on extendingprogrammes on safety at sea tosmall-scale fishers. At present, littleknowledge exists about fish stocks inthe Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)of Bangladesh. This aspect neededstrengthening, besides developmentof Monitoring, Control andSurveillance (MCS) in marinefisheries.

Mr Parikshit Datta Choudhury, JointSecretary, MoFL, described thesafety of small-scale fishers as anarea of neglect. Cyclone SIDR hadlent urgency to the subject, and thegovernment has initiated somemeasures. The Safety at Sea Projectis a bold step in the right direction.

Mr R Ravikumar, FAO RegionalProgramme Coordinator, Safety atSea Project, gave a brief outline ofthe Project and its proposedactivities.

In his inaugural address, Mr SyedAtaur Rahman, Secretary, MoFL,said that over time, a rapid increasehas occurred in the fisher populationof Bangladesh and in fishing effort.Result: fisher incomes have beenfalling. Fishers are trying tomechanize their boats and ventureinto deeper waters for highercatches, but weather conditions inthe Bay of Bengal threaten theireffort. Lives have been lost, boatshave been damaged, fishers havesuffered grave misery.

Participants at the Sea Safety Workshop.

Workshop in Chittagong MakesRecommendations for Sea Safetyof Fishers in Bangladesh


Mr Rahman said fishers fend forthemselves, depending ontraditional knowledge andexperience. They have nocommunication equipment or life-saving appliances. Cyclone SIDRhad killed more than 3 000 people,mostly fishers. “If we had informedfishers about SIDR, many liveswould have been saved.”

The UNDP/ FAO/ BGD Project on“Empowerment of Coastal FishingCommunities for LivelihoodSecurity (ECFC Project)” hadprovided some help, Mr Rahmansaid. But much more is needed to bedone, including welfare measures forfishers. A national focal point had tobe identified for the Safety at SeaProject, and costs integrated into therevenue budget. “We should takelessons from this workshop and frameguidelines on what is to be done.”

Technical Sessions

During the first Technical Session ofthe workshop, five presentationswere made. Mr Ravikumar said theSouth Asian component of theSIDA- funded and FAO-executedGlobal Project on “Safety at Sea forSmall-scale Fisheries” is beingimplemented in Bangladesh, India,Maldives and Sri Lanka. The Projectis expected to come up with(i) guidelines and rules for designand construction of boats and goodboatyard practices, (ii) stakeholdertraining/ awareness programmes,(3) safety at sea -fisherymanagement integration, and(4) improved reporting and analysisof mortalities/ injuries at sea.

The second presentation was madeby Mr A F M Sirajul Islam, engineerand ship surveyor, MMD, on“Overview of safety aspects ofsmall fishing craft in the marinesector of Bangladesh”. Mr Islamsaid that Bangladesh has some2.5 million small-scale fishers and35 to 40 000 fishing boats. Wood isthe basic material for boatconstruction. Design is based ontraditional knowledge.

Mr Islam said that during themonsoon, cyclonic weather caused

by depression creates problems forfishers, leading to boat capsize andloss of life and property. Enginefailures are also very common, andboats drift. There are no rules andregulations for the safety of small-scale fisheries or for theconstruction, stability andmaintenance of small boats.

Mr Islam said that buildingcommunity awareness programmes,and measures such as registration offishing boats, insurance schemes forfishers and their assets, andimplementation of IMO and ILOnorms and guidelines, werenecessary.

Commander Mir Ershad Ali of theBangladesh Navy made the nextpresentation on “Overview of searchand rescue operations inBangladesh”. He said thatBangladesh has acceded to some20 IMO conventions. It has MarineSearch and Rescue (SAR) Centreslocated in Chittagong and Khulna.Numerous accidents occur in theBay of Bengal due to poorseamanship, the age of fishingvessels and human error.

Commander Ali said that the MarineFisheries Ordinance, 1983,mandates the Bangladesh Navy withsurveillance duties. The four mainplayers on surveillance are theNavy, the Air Force, the CoastGuard and the Department ofShipping. Funds are short, anational-level SAR organisationdoesn’t exist: these are the two mainconstraints to SAR operations inBangladesh.

In the next presentation, Dr AbdurRahim, Professor, BangladeshUniversity of Science andTechnology, highlighted “Trainingneeds in safety at sea for themaritime fishery sector”. Dr Rahimclassified fishing vessels ofBangladesh into (i) Deep seatrawlers, (ii) Wooden offshore boats,and (iii) Small inshore and estuarineboats.

He said that deep sea trawlers havebeen imported from South east Asia.Offshore wooden boats operate in a

Top to bottom: Mr Syed AtaurRahman, Mr Parikshit DattaChoudhury,Mr Md Mokammel Hossain,Cdr Mir Ershad Ali, Mr R Ravikumar.


hazardous environment. Those madefrom locally available wood last 4 to5 years, while boats of importedwood last more than 10 years. Thereis no dearth of skilled craftsmen inChittagong and Cox’s Bazaar,Dr Rahim said. The problems arelack of public finance as well aslack of training in boat design.

The session’s final paper waspresented by Mr Sk MostafizurRahman, Project Director, RFLDPBarisal component. He shared withthe workshop the experience of theECFC project in Cox’s Bazaardistrict during 2000-2006.

Mr Rahman said the Project wasimplemented in all the eightupazilas of Cox’s Bazaar District,covering 117 villages. The projecttargeted the poor and thedisadvantaged, assistedcommunities in empowerment,introduced economic andcommunity welfare activities, rana community radio programme,facilitated conservation andmanagement of natural resourcesthrough community-basedapproaches.

Mr Rahman said that the projectdecentralized implementation ofactivities. Fishers, especiallywomen, took active part. Lack ofsafety equipment, inadequate accessto weather information,inappropriate design andconstruction of small fishing boats,absence of a strong data base onaccidents at sea, inadequate SARoperations – these were the majordrawbacks concerning sea safety forsmall-scale fishers.

The workshop’s second technicalsession consisted of groupdiscussions. Participants weredivided into three groups. Theydiscussed knowledge gaps in fishercommunities on safety awareness;knowledge gaps in national agencieson safety at sea initiatives; andknowledge gaps in the serviceindustry on safety aspects for thefisheries sector.

Each group presented its ideas andfindings to the workshop. These

were discussed, andrecommendations followed.

Recommendations

The workshop agreed that existingrules and regulations (e.g. SOLAS1974; Marine Fisheries Ordnance,1983 ) do have adequate provisionsto ensure the safety of fishers at sea,but their application at the fieldlevel must be improved. Fishingvessel inspectors and surveyorsmust be trained to interpret rulesand regulations concerning safety.An implementable National SARplan should be formulated, whichidentifies the roles, responsibilitiesand capacities of different playersresponsible for SAR.

The workshop recommended thatboat owners be persuaded to provideadequate communication andnavigation equipment to the crew.Awareness programmes should beundertaken on proper use of fishinggear, safety and communicationequipment, the use of distresssignals, etc. Communicationequipment like VHF must bedemonstrated and then introduced.The community should besystematic in reporting accidents atsea and in implementing safetyguidelines among fishers. NGOsand CBOs can play a vital role inthis effort.

The workshop agreed that skills ofboatbuilders and other serviceproviders should be augmentedthrough training. Traditional woodenboats are inadequate for modernfishing practices. Skill variationsamong different boatbuildingcenters must be looked at.

Participants agreed on the need todiversify boatbuilding materials:FRP is now a common boatbuilding

material in South Asian countries.They also agreed on registration ofboatyards to ensure quality.

The workshop emphasized the needfor a proper surveillance andreporting system for accidents andincidents at sea. Fishing effortshould be aligned with scientificallyassessed fish stocks for properfisheries management.A ‘precautionary approach’ shouldbe adopted toward fishing effort tillreliable data on stocks was available.

The workshop emphasized the needfor a database on the fishing fleetand a proper boat registrationmechanism. This would help checkpiracy, which is rampant inBangladesh waters. It also stressedthe need for insurance of life andproperty of fishers as a necessarycondition for sea safety. At present,such insurance does not exist.

The workshop recommended anational fisheries management plandrawing on the strengths and needsof all the players. Safety at seawould be a necessary ingredient ofsuch a plan, besides resourcemanagement, effort control andmodernization.

The workshop agreed on pilot-scaleimplementation of activities in theCox’s Bazar area on the basis ofrecommendations made by the threegroups. The activities included (i)awareness-building at thecommunity level, (ii) promotion ofan MCS regime through databasebuilding and simplification ofregistration procedures, and(iii) development of technicalguidelines and information materialson sea safety includingboatbuilding, life-saving appliances,distress and weather signals, etc.

Mr Parikshit Datta Choudhuryexpressed his satisfaction over theoutcome of the workshop. He hopedits recommendations would be takenup for implementation by theBOBP-IGO and other agencies, andassured full government support forthe project’s implementation.Dr Y S Yadava proposed a vote ofthanks.


Management P lan fo r H i l sa

India, Bangladesh andMyanmar Lay out Road Mapfor a Management Planfor Hilsa Fisheries

Delegates from Bangladesh,India and Myanmar havelaid out a road map for a

management plan for hilsa fisheries.This was done at a regionalconsultation organized by theBOBP-IGO on March 14-15, 2008,at the Central Inland FisheriesResearch Institute (CIFRI),Barrackpore (Kolkata).

Welcoming delegates, Dr Y SYadava, Director of the BOBP-IGO,recalled that management plans fortwo important commercial fisheries– hilsa and sharks – were firstmooted at the Second Meeting ofthe Technical Advisory Committeeof the BOBP-IGO in Chennai inFebruary 2007. It was suggestedthat the management plan for hilsafisheries should be prepared byBangladesh, India and Myanmarand the management plan for sharkfisheries by India, Maldives andSri Lanka. Although Myanmar isnot a member of the BOBP-IGO, itsinclusion was considered essentialsince hilsa forms an importantcommercial species in the IrrawadyRiver System.

At the Barrackpore consultation, theopening session was followed by atechnical session (with papers fromthe three countries on the status ofhilsa). On the basis of guidelines putup by the BOBP-IGO secretariat, thedelegates prepared informationlogframes and laid out a road map asfollows for a management plan:

• A comprehensive status paperwould be prepared on hilsafisheries resources, including abibliography on research work.Action: R&D institutions and

universities in the region. (Thestatus paper would discussresources, production, MSY, stockassessment, impacts, legal andpolicy support, projects &programmes, etc.)

• A stakeholder consultation onhilsa management would beorganized in each of the threecountries. Alternative livelihoodsfor hilsa fishers would be animportant part of the consultation.

• A data collection, collation andcompilation mechanism would beset up in member-countries; aNational Task Force would beestablished in India andMyanmar; a ‘Hilsa portal orwebsite’ would be created for theBay of Bengal region.

• Awareness materials onconservation and sustainableexploitation of hilsa fisherieswould be prepared.

Key Institutions Supporting Institutions

Bangladesh

Bangladesh Fisheries Research • Ministry of Fisheries & LivestockInstitute, Mymensingh • Department of Fisheries

India

Central Inland Fisheries Research • Ministry of Agriculture (DepartmentInstitute, Barrackpore of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries)

• Fishery Survey of India, Mumbai• Central Marine Fisheries Research

Institute, Kochi

Myanmar

Fisheries Resource Conservation • Ministry of Livestock & FisheriesUnit, Yangon • Department of Fisheries

Participants at the Regional Consultation.

India, Bangladesh andMyanmar Lay out Road Mapfor a Management Planfor Hilsa Fisheries


• A Gantt chart (on page 18)covering the period April -September, 2008 was prepared tocarry out these activities in asystematic time-frame.

During the opening session,Dr Yadava said the hilsa fishery –which is a source of food, nutritionand livelihoods in the coastal,estuarine and inland areas of thethree countries – is at presentsubject to severe stress from naturaland anthropogenic impacts. Bothqualitative and quantitative changeshave occurred in the landings of thisspecies in recent years.A management plan is thereforeurgent to check further impacts onthe fishery.

Dr Musharaf Ali, AssistantCommissioner (Fisheries),Government of India, expressedconcern over the declining stocks ofhilsa due to human intervention, andcalled for all-out management effort.

Dr K K Vass, Director of CIFRI andchairperson of the Consultation,congratulated the BOBP-IGO on itsinitiative of a RegionalConsultation. He said a managementplan for hilsa fisheries should lookbeyond commercial aspects and takeinto account sustainability andlivelihood issues.

Technical Session

Dr Khan Kamal Uddin Ahmed,Principal Scientific Officer of theBangladesh Fisheries ResearchInstitute, Mymensing, Bangladesh,made a presentation on the “Status

of Hilsa Fishery in Bangladesh”.He described hilsa as the “nationalfish of Bangladesh”, and said itaccounts for 50-60 percent of theglobal hilsa catch, 12 to 13 percentof national fish production and about1 percent of the country’s GDP.

Dr Ahmed said the annual averageof hilsa landings during the period1983-84 to 2006-07, was 2 10 498tonnes. During the last two decades,hilsa production from inland watersdeclined about 12 percent, whileproduction from the marine sectorincreased two-fold. The number ofmarine fishing boats and gear hasincreased about four times since1984-85, resulting in tremendousfishing pressure on hilsa fisheries inmarine waters.

Explaining the results of a scientificstudy, Dr Ahmed said that the hilsaof Bangladesh, India and Myanmarbelong to the same stock. Most hilsaborn in fresh waters live and grow inthe sea and migrate upstream forbreeding and feeding. The adultsagain return to the sea after spawning.

Some 4 60 000 fishers from 1 83 000families are active in hilsa fisheriesin Bangladesh. About 88 percent ofthe fishers have no land or less than0.5 acre of land. Some 1 00 000crafts engage in hilsa capture ininland waters, while mechanizedand non-mechanized boats and gearin the marine sector number around106 000. Commercial hilsa fishingoccurs in the marine and riverineareas throughout the year and peaksduring September and October.

A majority of hilsa catch (60-70%)occurs during the peak breedingseason.

Dr Ahmed referred to threeimportant management measuresundertaken recently by theBangladesh Department ofFisheries. These are the specialoperation to protect and conservejuvenile hilsa, the jatka; declarationof hilsa sanctuaries in major nurserygrounds; and conservation of gravidhilsa in the major spawning groundsfor uninterrupted spawning. Sincehilsa is a common resource of theBay of Bengal, with Bangladesh,India and Myanmar togetherharvesting 90-95 percent of theresource, a tri-country initiative forhilsa management and conservationis urgently required forsustainability.

Dr K K Vass presented a countrypaper on “Status of Hilsa Fishery inIndia”. He said hilsa occurs on theeast coast of India (river Ganga andits tributaries, the Chilikabrackishwater lake), the riversBrahmaputra and Barak in Assamand rivers of the west coast.

Dr Vass said that increased marketdemand for hilsa and the high priceit commands have increased thefishing pressure on the speciesduring the past three to fourdecades. The trend is continuing.Driven by the urge for higherharvests, fishers are deploying moreand more effort, paying littleattention to size or season. Suchindiscriminate exploitation hasresulted in a remarkable decline inmean length and weight of catch,especially in larger river systems.

Dr Vass suggested regulations onmesh size (for example, an increasein mesh size from the existing8-12 cm to 9-13.5 cm) and optimumfishing effort on hilsa. Besidesincreasing the mean weight andoverall production, this would alsoallow fishes to spawn at least oncebefore being caught.

Dr Vass recommended that a betterunderstanding be obtained of thepopulation dynamics and MSY ofThe Regional Consultation in progress.


hilsa species through stockassessment conducted by countriessharing the resource. He alsosuggested a bibliography on hilsa;development of effective harvestand post-harvest technologies; andinvestigations on the feasibility ofraising of hilsa in the lacustrineenvironment.

Mr U Aung Htay Oo, SeniorFisheries Officer (Research),Department of Fisheries,Government of Myanmar, said thatin his country, small-scale fisheriesgenerally comprise two categoriesof fishermen – the fishing boatowner and the crew. Most fishingboat owners do not go out to thesea; but in the inland sector, manyof the boat owners are active infishing.

Discussing the state of informationon hilsa, Mr Oo said that no specific

research activities are being carriedout at present on hilsa fisheries.Technical assistance from regionalorganizations like the BOBP-IGOand from developed countries wouldbe useful for a hilsa managementplan. As precautionary measures,Mr Oo suggested mesh size controland protection of juvenile hilsa.Awareness-creation among fishersfor conservation and sustainableexploitation of the hilsa fisherywould be essential.

Preparing a road map for themanagement planAfter the three country statusreports on hilsa, Dr Y S Yadavadiscussed three peculiarcharacteristics of hilsa. Its stocks areshared among three coastal states; itis migratory in character; it ispredominantly an artisanal fisherydistributed far and wide in the

coastal areas. These factors render asound monitoring and controlmechanism in a given fishing areadifficult, particularly whenharmonized management practicesare absent.

He said the BOBP-IGO had drawnup guidelines on working toward ahilsa management plan from the1995 FAO Code of Conduct forResponsible Fisheries (CCRF). TheGuidelines include a “Frameworkfor a Management Plan on Hilsa,”which has four main heads relatingto information, institutionalarrangements, stakeholders, andfinance and funding.

On the basis of this framework, anindicative discussion map with sixlog-tables was prepared and given tothe participants. The log tables wereheaded as follows:

Log 1: Status of Hilsa fishery in theBay of Bengal.

Log 2: Natural and anthropogenicimpacts.

Log 3: Socio-economic analysis –institutional arrangements.

Log 4: Socio-economic analysis –awareness creation and training.

Log 5: Socio-economic analysis –livelihood and trade.Log 6: Economic analysis – fundingrequirements and provisions.

Representatives of each countrytogether analyzed the situation ofhilsa fisheries in their respectivecountries in terms of informationsought in the log tables for amanagement plan. Gaps ininformation, and the future courseof action, were identified. Theresulting log tables were presentedto the Consultation.

The Consultation constituted atechnical committee in each country– key institution and supportinginstitutions – to initiate action on themanagement plan. It was also agreedthat the next Regional Consultationon the subject will be held inBangladesh during the last quarter of2008, subject to the approval of theGovernment of Bangladesh.

Gantt Chart for proposed activities to support preparation of amanagement plan for Hilsa.

Sl. Management 2008No aspects April May June July August September

1.0 Preparation ofcomprehensive statuspaper on hilsa

2.0 Stakeholderconsultation

3.0 Setting up the datacollection mechanism

4.0 Setting up of NationalTask Force

5.0 Setting up of a ‘HilsaPortal/ Website’

6.0 Preparation ofawareness materials


TAC Meet ing

BOBP-IGO holds ThirdTechnical Advisory CommitteeMeeting in Sri Lanka

The Third Technical AdvisoryCommittee of the BOBP-IGO discussed and approved

the Organisation’s workplan for theperiod April 2008-March 2009 at ameeting in Beruwala, Sri Lanka, onMarch 28-29, 2008. Senior fisheryrepresentatives from the fourmember-countries and an observerfrom the FAO took part. Mr NeomalPerera, Deputy Minister of Fisheries& Aquatic Resources, Sri Lanka,was the chief guest at the inauguralsession.

Dr Yugraj Singh Yadava, Director ofBOBP-IGO, welcomed the chiefguest and the delegates. He said thatthe TAC plays the important role inthe BOBP-IGO of identifying keyissues for intervention. He urgedmember-countries to thoroughlyreview past work and set futuredirections.

Mr G Piyasena, Secretary, Ministryof Fisheries and Aquatic Resources(MoFAR), Sri Lanka, said thatmember-countries had the will andcapacity to work closely with theBOBP-IGO. He hoped the meetingwould yield important outputs forsustainable development andmanagement of fisheries in the Bayof Bengal region.

In his inaugural address, MinisterNeomal Perera described theBOBP-IGO as a unique regionalfisheries body to help governmentsimprove the quality of life of small-scale fishers in the region andstrengthen their livelihoodopportunities. He recalled withappreciation the three-day RegionalConsultation in Sri Lanka on“Preparation of Management Plansfor Shark Fisheries”. He hoped thefruitful partnership betweenSri Lanka and the BOBP-IGO

would continue. Mr IndraRanasinghe, Director General(Fisheries Development), MoFAR,proposed a vote of thanks.

Mr P Sivaraj (India), actingchairperson, said the BOBP-IGOwas doing a commendable job inpromoting the sustainability ofmarine fisheries in the region.He appreciated the Organisation’sefforts in 2007-08. Sri Lanka wasunanimously chosen to chair thethird meeting of the TAC.

Report on BOBP-IGO activities

Dr Yadava presented the BOBP-IGO’s report for April 2007-March2008, and detailed the status ofvarious activities undertaken as perthe agreed work programme.

Safety at Sea: The South AsiaComponent of the Global Project on“Safety at Sea for Small-scaleFisheries (GCP/GLO/200/MUL)”implemented by the FAO (FisheriesIndustries Division) through theBOBP-IGO was initiated in May 2007.

The project seeks to analyse data toidentify the causes of accidents;educate and train trainers,

extensionists, fishermen andinspectors; strive for better fisheriesmanagement measures and safetyregulations; develop improvedcommunication systems; and applyFAO draft guidelines forconstruction and repair of smallFRP fishing vessels.

The Alaska Center of the NationalInstitute of Occupational Safety andHealth (NIOSH) of the Centers forDisease Control (CDC), USA, alsoassists the project. It funds acomponent on surveillance andmonitoring of fishing-relatedaccidents at sea.

During the year, NationalWorkshops were organized inNegombo, Sri Lanka (11-12October 2007); Chennai, India (3-4December 2007); and Chittagong,Bangladesh (21-22 January 2008).Government officials, fishers,boatbuilders, other service providersand NGOs took part. At theseworkshops, gaps in information,service and policy on sea safetyissues were identified. Nationalaction plans for pilot- scaleimplementation were designed.

The joint FAO-IMO Project on“Tsunami Reconstruction and

Participants at the Technical Advisory Committee Meeting.

BOBP-IGO holds ThirdTechnical Advisory CommitteeMeeting in Sri Lanka


Rehabilitation in Sri Lanka andIndia on Small Fishing VesselSafety” was also initiated during theperiod. This project assesses thestandards of boats built anddistributed to fishers as part oftsunami relief. It introducesconstruction and equipmentstandards for small fishing vessels,on the basis of the FAO/ILO/IMOVoluntary Guidelines for theDesign, Construction andEquipment of Small Fishing Vessels.

Mr Oyvind Gulbrandsen, FAO/BOBP-IGO Consultant, did adetailed assessment in November-December 2007 of the quality ofconstruction and design of small-scale fishing vessels in India andSri Lanka. He would provideguidelines for the construction ofFRP fishing vessels and woodenfishing vessels (below 24 meter inlength), commonly used in Indiaand Sri Lanka, and also guidelinesfor FRP boatyards in the region.

The FAO Fishery Officer (Mr RogerKullberg) attached to the Safety atSea Project made field visits toPatuakhali, Kuakata and Barisal inBangladesh from 23 to 29 January2008. He studied and assessed thequality of fishing boats – theirconstruction, availability ofcommunication and safetyequipment, and safety preparednessof the crew, etc.

The Regional Workshop on“Monitoring, Control andSurveillance (RW-MCS) for marinefisheries in the Bay of Bengal” washeld in Chittagong, Bangladesh, on16-18 January 2008. Twenty-threerepresentatives from ministries anddepartments of fisheries; the CoastGuard and the Navy; the MercantileMarine Department; fisheriesresearch institutions; boatbuildersand fish exporters of the region;experts plus the FAO took part. TheChittagong Resolution (see page 42)was a significant outcome of theworkshop.

Resource Management: TwoRegional Consultations wereorganised – to discuss managementplans for hilsa fisheries, covering

Bangladesh and India (andMyanmar as observer country); anda management plan for sharkfisheries covering India, Maldivesand Sri Lanka.

The Hilsa consultation wasorganised in Barrackpore (Kolkata),India, on 14-15 March, 2008.Eleven delegates took part. Afterreports and discussion on thecurrent status of hilsa fisheriesresources, the Consultationrecommended an action plan toinitiate a management plan.A detailed report on the ‘HilsaConsultation’ is available on pp 16-18.

Likewise, a regional consultation onshark fisheries (held in Beruwala,Sri Lanka, 24-26 March, 2008)agreed on an action plan. Thedetailed report on the ‘SharkConsultation’ can be seen on pp 47-50.

Miscellaneous: The BOBP-IGO’sattractive 2008 desk calendarfocused on sea-safety measures.A single-sheet wall calendar and aset of six laminated placards ondistress signals and checklists wereprepared as awareness material forfishers.

The BOBP-IGO has published anewsletter and 12 posters in Englishon the Code of Conduct forResponsible Fisheries (CCRF), andinitiated a process to translate theminto Bangla, Dhivehi, Oriya,Sinhalese, Telugu and Tamil.Archiving is being done of over50 000 photographs relating to threedecades of the programme.

Supportive activities: The BOBP-IGO collaborated with UNDP andthe Government of Orissa inpreparing a report on “Developmentof Marine Fisheries and Post-harvestSectors in Orissa”. It helpedimplement a training project on“Promotion of Community-basedFishery Resource Management byCoastal Small-scale Fishers inThailand”. It took part in an expertconsultation on “Low Cost FisheriesManagement Strategies and CostRecovery,” held in Georgetown,Guyana, 4-7 September 2007; andin a technical consultation in Rome

(4-8 February, 2008) to formulateinternational guidelines for themanagement of deep-sea fisheries inthe high seas.

Discussion on BOBP-IGOactivities

Catch statistics: Mr Simon Funge-Smith (FAO) said that while thequantity of fish catch has gone up inthe region, the landings show adisturbing trend since we are fishingdown the food chain. The BOBP-IGO should inform nationalgovernments and the FAO about thistrend.

Mr Sk Mostafizur Rahman(Bangladesh): A management planfor protection of shark fisheries isneeded in Bangladesh too, becausein recent years large quantities ofshark juveniles are being caught inBangladesh waters. Bangladeshshould therefore be included in theBOBP-IGO’s management plans forshark. (The TAC asked theSecretariat to raise the issue at thenext Governing Council meeting.)

Utilization of tuna: Dr ChampaAmarasiri (Sri Lanka) said thatcoastal fishing effort inSri Lanka can’t be increased further.Offshore waters offer some scope;even here, reports of over-exploitation of yellowfin tunasuggest the need for caution.Mr Sivaraj said that India’s offshorewaters are yet to be exploited fortuna and tuna like species.Dr Shiham Adam (Maldives) saidthat Indian Ocean skipjack stocksare resilient, and are not being over-exploited.

Mr Neomal Perera, Deputy Ministerfor Fisheries & Aquatic Resources,

Government of Sri Lanka.


Mr Funge-Smith said the FAO isconsidering a Regional TechnicalCooperation Programme (TCP) onimproved utilization of tuna, to beimplemented through INFOFISH,Kuala Lumpur. Some BOBP-IGOmember-countries might also beincluded in the Regional TCP. Hesuggested that member-countriescould consult the Indian Ocean TunaCommission (IOTC), and raiseissues with the IOTC Working Partyon Tropical Tunas, which would beheld later this year. Dr Amarasirisaid that member-countries ought toprepare their own plans beforeapproaching the IOTC.

Delegates suggested a BOBP-IGOstrategy consultation on tunafisheries, which would includerepresentatives of industry as well.The Director of BOBP-IGO shouldattend the next meeting of IOTC, itwas felt.

Mr Rahman suggested joint stockassessments by member-countries.The Indian delegate said theFisheries Survey of India (FSI)could carry out regional surveys ofstocks. BOBP-IGO said it couldsupport the participation cost of onetechnical person from each member-country in the fishing vessels of FSI,after agreements among member-countries. The delegate fromSri Lanka pointed out that accessingdata from joint surveys was at timesdifficult. This negated the objectivesof such surveys.

The TAC advised the Secretariat toencourage multilateral agreementsamong member-governments.If possible, key institutions shouldbe identified for easy and timelydissemination of data among thestakeholders.

Proposals and priorities frommember-countries

Bangladesh: Mr Rahman identifiedareas in marine fisheries whereBOBP-IGO could play a major rolein tapping the potential of hiscountry’s marine waters – such asinformation networking amongmember-countries on fish stocks andcreation of a fish data base;

management plans on important fishspecies; an effective regional MCSsystem; regional cooperation inweather forecasting; and networkingof community-based organisationsin fisheries.

He said member-countries shouldharmonize management practicesfor shared stocks – including ban ondestructive fishing practices anddeclaration of closed seasons forfishing.

India: Mr P Sivaraj said theactivities of the BOBP-IGO were inline with India’s priorities. Activitiessuch as safety at sea and MCS havebeen included in India’s 11th Five-Year Plan. The BOBP-IGO isplaying an important role in creatingawareness among fishers andpromoting sustainable fisheries inIndia. It should step up efforts todisseminate the CCRF so that itreaches a critical mass ofstakeholders. Mr Sivaraj suggestedthat the BOBP-IGO should helptransfer useful technologies fromone member-country to another,especially in small and medium-sized boat construction.

Maldives: Dr Shiham Adam saidthat while tuna continued to be themainstay of fisheries in theMaldives, coastal fisheries(especially reef fisheries) are animportant source of income andlivelihoods for communities in theouter atolls of the Maldives. Therapid expansion of tourism hasincreased the demand for reeffishes.

Dr Adam said that reef sharks in theMaldives are being severelydepleted and gulper sharks are beingover-exploited. The other fisheriesthat need attention include aquariumfishes, sea cucumbers and lobsters.At present, Maldivian ornamentalfishes have limited direct access toforeign markets; they are mostlyexported to Sri Lanka andre-exported from there to marketsabroad. One of the priorities forMaldives is to develop maricultureso as to reduce the effort on wildstocks. The Government hasannounced 11 potential sites to be

leased out on a long-term basis foraquaculture.

Sri Lanka: Dr Amarasiri said thatSri Lanka’s priority is to develop thecoastal tuna longline fishery. Theskills and capacities of small-scaletuna longliners must be upgraded,fish handling and processing mustbe improved both on-board and afterlanding. To ensure a continuoussupply of low-cost good-qualitybait, Sri Lanka plans to initiate milkfish farming and to introduce baitfishery in coastal areas. The countryneeds a tuna fishery managementplan and a fleet development plan toexploit tuna resources in asustainable manner, Dr Amarasirisaid.

Discussion on country proposals

Initiating discussions on the countryproposals and priorities, Dr Adamsaid that development of milk fishhatcheries for bait fishing isimportant to the Maldives. Listingsome collaboration options,Dr Yadava said that at present Indiaimports milk fish from thePhilippines. The Network ofAquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific(NACA), Bangkok, could beapproached to develop milk fishfarming in the region.

Dr Funge-Smith endorsed theproposal of the Secretariat forassociating NACA with milk fishfarming. He said that the Philippineshas good technology in milk fishfarming and is now moving towardsa cage-based milk fish culture. He,however, cautioned that issuesrelated to disease transfer should becarefully considered. He also saidthat NACA had already developedtechnology for grouper fisheries.

Referring to the MCS priorities ofBangladesh, Dr Yadava said thatcountries may like to first developtheir national MCS action plansthrough stakeholder consultations.He said the Secretariat isnetworking with FAO and otherinternational agencies to explore thescope for external assistance andfunding. Mr Funge-Smith suggestedthat the BOBP-IGO discuss possible


collaborations with the FISHCODEprogramme and the IUU MonitoringNetwork of DFID. He alsosuggested that informationnetworking should be strengthened.

Presentation on RegionalProgrammes/ Activities/ Issues oftopical importance

The Secretariat proposed four newactivities during 2008-2009.

a) Preparatory studies onalternative livelihoods for fishers:A few comprehensive socio-economic studies could be taken up.Eventual aims: to encourage fishersto think beyond fishing and reducefishing effort, and reduce thevulnerability of fishers to variousshocks.

Mr Ranasinghe said thatmariculture, aquaculture,construction work and dress-makinghad been tried out on a pilot basis asalternative livelihoods for fishers inSri Lanka during the last four years.Of these, aquaculture (sea bassfarming in the Negombo lagoon) wasthe most successful.Mr Ranasinghe said that goodtechnical guidance is a pre-requisitefor any alternative livelihood activity.

The FAO Representative said thatSpain is supporting FAO inimplementing the Asia-Pacific Ruraland Agricultural Credit Association(APRACA) programme in whichSri Lanka is proposed to be included.

b) Study on impact of fuel pricehike on marine fisheries: This will

address the problem of small-scalefishers and develop a copingstrategy for them.

Dr Adam said that Maldives hadproposed a subsidy scheme forfishers to offset the effect of pricehike. He suggested that the studymay look into fuel efficiency. TheBangladesh delegate said that a fuelsubsidy for fishing boats wasintroduced 10 years ago in hiscountry. Mr Ravikumar, FAORegional Sea Safety Coordinator,said that fishers tend to increaseengine power without any genuineneed to do so. It is more of a rat raceand needs to be curbed. Thechairperson said that the Cey-NorFoundation in Sri Lanka, whichlooks into marketing aspects, offersfishers guaranteed prices. Thescheme has been working well forthe last seven years; presently, 19varieties of fish species are coveredunder this scheme. Mr Funge-Smithsaid that subsidies can keep theprices of fish artificially low,resulting in their over-exploitation.

c) Study of the impact of climatechange on fisheries: This willrecord and monitor research effortsin member-countries in tracking theimpact of climate change,particularly on coastal fisheries.Information will be disseminated.

d) Study on capacity-building infood safety in marine fisheries:The aim is to improve handling offish on board and at fishing

harbours or fish landing sites, andraise awareness among stakeholdersabout measures necessary tostrengthen safety and improvehygiene.

The delegate from Sri Lanka saidthat waste disposal at the BeruwalaFishing Harbour has been verysuccessful; this could be a model forother harbours in the region.Mr Funge-Smith suggested that theSecretariat look at the FAO-TCPProject on ‘Cleaner FishingHarbours’ implemented in India.

Secretariat: Work Plan

Presenting the BOBP-IGO’s workplan for the period April 2008-March 2009, Dr Yadava said theIGO would continue with itscapacity-building and resourcemanagement activities. It wouldcarry out two scoping studies onmanagement of small-scale tunafisheries and management of broodstock of tiger shrimp, besides thefour proposed new activities.

The TAC endorsed the work planand asked the Secretariat to presentit at the next meeting of theGoverning Council.

Secretariat: Review of Role of TAC

The Secretariat requested theTAC to evaluate its own role, asrecommended by the BOBP/IGO’sGoverning Council. Therepresentative of FAO suggestedthat TAC should develop theOrganisation’s work plan, makepolicy recommendations to theGoverning Council and identifyemerging issues in fisheries.

Some members felt that a review ofthe role of TAC was premature sincethe BOBP-IGO is only about fiveyears old. Such reviews can beconducted after 10 to 15 years.

The TAC adopted the report of themeeting, recorded its deepappreciation to the Government ofSri Lanka for its hospitality, andagreed to hold its next meeting early2009 in Bangladesh, subject to theconcurrence of the Government.

The Technical Advisory Committee in progress.


Govern ing Counc i l Meet ing

BOBP-IGO’s GoverningCouncil Holds FourthMeeting in Dhaka

The Fourth Meeting of theBOBP-IGO’s GoverningCouncil was held at the

Bangladesh Agriculture ResearchCouncil, Dhaka, on 6-7 May 2008.Representatives of member-countries (Bangladesh, India,Maldives and Sri Lanka) took part,besides an observer from TheWorldFish Center and theSecretariat of the BOBP-IGO.

Mr Manik Lal Samaddar, SpecialAssistant to the Chief Advisor,Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock(MoFL), Bangladesh, was the ChiefGuest and chaired the inauguralsession. Mr Syed Ataur Rahman,Secretary, MoFL, Special Guest;Mr Parikshit Datta Choudhury, JointSecretary, MoFL; and Mr RafiqulIslam, Director-General,Department of Fisheries (DoF) tookpart in the inaugural session, alongwith senior officials from theBangladesh Agricultural ResearchCouncil; DoF; the BangladeshCoast Guard; and representativesfrom industry and the media.

Welcoming delegates, Dr Y SYadava, Director, BOBP-IGO, saidthe Organisation had completed fiveyears of existence as an IGO andwas well-recognized internationally.It had fruitful relationships with theFAO, the National Institute ofOccupational Safety and Health,USA, the Swedish InternationalDevelopment Agency and severalother international organizations.He thanked member-countries fortheir support.

Dr Yadava said that global marinefisheries is passing through a crisisfor several reasons, ranging fromanthropogenic impacts to climatechange to excess fishing capacity.He urged member-countries toharness all available expertise and

management capacity, and fosterregional cooperation to address thecomplex problems of marinefisheries.

Mr Rafiqul Islam said that thoughfisheries contributes about 5.3percent to the GDP of Bangladeshand is the second-biggest foreignexchange earner after garments,most marine fishers are poor andlack significant fishing assets. Mostof the 40 000 mechanised fishingboats in Bangladesh areunregistered. He referred to the‘knowledge gap’ among fishersabout sea safety, weather conditionsand the right fishing gear – whichaffects their well-being.

Mr Islam recalled with appreciationthe development work of theerstwhile BOBP in marine fisheriesand its role in fostering regionalcooperation.

Mr Abdulla Naseer, PermanentSecretary, Ministry of Fisheries,Agriculture and Marine Resources,Maldives, and Chairman of theGoverning Council, also

complimented the BOBP-IGO andcalled for continued co-operationamong member-countries throughthe IGO to address emerging issues.

Mr Syed Ataur Rahman expresseddeep concern and sympathy for thevictims of cyclone Nargis that hitcoastal Myanmar on 04 May 2008,and for victims of cyclone SIDRthat devastated lives and livelihoodsin southern coastal districts ofBangladesh, especially in Barisal.

Mr Rahman said Bangladesh is yetto realize optimum yield from itsaquatic wealth in the Bay of Bengal(BoB). He called for collectiveaction by BOBP-IGO to tap theresources of the Bay in a sustainablemanner. He recalled the IGO’s workon initiating preparation of amanagement plan for hilsa fisheries,and the national workshop on seasafety for small-scale fishers(January 2008, Chittagong). Hehoped that its outcomes would beimplemented. He said Myanmarshould be brought into the fold of theBOBP-IGO to help better fisheryresource management of the Bay.

Delegates at the Fourth Meeting of Governing Council in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

BOBP-IGO’s GoverningCouncil Holds FourthMeeting in Dhaka


In his inaugural address, Mr ManikLal Samaddar welcomed delegatesand expressed condolences tovictims of cyclone Nargis inMyanmar.

Mr Samaddar described the BoB asa valuable resource in terms of food,trade, employment and biodiversity.Fisheries and aquaculture thereforeenjoy huge potential. But whilemarine fish production is stagnatingbecause of unsustainable fishingpractices, aquaculture haslimitations due to limited water area.

Mr Samaddar said the BOBP-IGO ishelping popularize the Code ofConduct for Responsible Fisheries(CCRF) and initiating action onmonitoring, control and surveillance(MCS). The GCM should furtherenhance regional cooperation infisheries and enable sustainablemanagement and development ofcoastal fisheries in the region.

Mr Parikshit Datta Choudhury, JointSecretary, MoFL proposed a vote ofthanks.

Bangladesh was unanimouslyelected to chair the Fourth GCM.Dr Naseer (Maldives) thanked theGoverning Council and the BOBP-IGO Secretariat for support duringhis tenure as chairperson of theGoverning Council.

Report of the BOBP-IGO (March2007-April 2008)

Dr Yadava presented the report ofthe BOBP-IGO for the period April2007-March 2008. He described theBoB as a tropical ecosystem in amonsoon belt. Growth of capturefisheries over the past decade hasbeen slowing, except in theMaldives. Millions of fishers in theBay suffer the prospect of loss oflivelihoods because of risingpopulation, unsustainable fishingpractices, habitat degradation andpost-harvest losses. Further declinecould be disastrous.

Dr Yadava described the activitiescarried out by BOBP-IGO undervarious heads. The safety at seaproject implemented by the FAOthrough the BOBP-IGO (which is

the South Asia component of theglobal project); the regionalworkshop on ‘Monitoring, Controland Surveillance for MarineFisheries in the Bay of Bengal; tworegional consultations onpreparation of management plansfor hilsa and shark fisheries;translation of the TechnicalGuidelines on Marine Fisheries ofthe CCRF into Bangla and Telugu;publication of theme-based annualcalendars, laminated placards onsafety at sea; the quarterlynewsletter Bay of Bengal News;and digitization of the organisation’svisual archives.

Other supporting activitiesimplemented during the year:Assistance to the InternationalCooperative Alliance inimplementing a training project on“Promotion of Community-basedFishery Resource Management byCoastal Small-scale Fishers inThailand”; collaboration with theUNDP and the Government ofOrissa, in preparing a report ondevelopment of marine fisheries inOrissa; an expert consultation on“Low Cost Fisheries ManagementStrategies and Cost Recovery” heldat Georgetown, Guyana, 4-7September 2007; and a technicalconsultation on “InternationalGuidelines for the Management ofDeep Sea Fisheries in the HighSeas”, held in Rome, Italy, 4-8February 2008.

Mr G Piyasena, Secretary, Ministryof Fisheries and Aquatic Resources,Sri Lanka, said that his country isengaging the BOBP-IGO in variousways to take forwardimplementation of safety at seaprogrammes. He thanked theBOBP-IGO Secretariat, the FAO

and member-countries who havesupported safety at sea activities inthe region.

Dr Abdulla Naseer said that safety-at-sea requirements of Maldives areunique in the sense that no seriousaccidents or mortalities occur.Fishing boats in the Maldives arewell-equipped, different from thoseof other member-countries, andMaldivians are first-rate fishers. Butthe fleet is being modernized fast,and working knowledge on variouscommunication and navigationdevices needs to be improved. TheSafety at Sea Project should includesuch training in its activities inMaldives. This would enable fishersto make multi-day fishing trips, asopposed to the single-day fishing invogue now.

Dr Naseer said the incidence ofillegal, unreported and unregulated(IUU) fishing in Maldivian waterswas increasing. Fishers often reportthe presence of IUU fishing vessels,but the EEZ is large and it’s difficultfor their Coast Guard to patrol theentire area. He urged the GoverningCouncil to consider the issue ofillegal fishing and member-countriesto work closely in the matter.

Mr M K R Nair (India),complimented the BOBP-IGO forits excellent accomplishmentsduring the year. He asked whetherBOBP-IGO activities aresufficiently gender-centric.Dr V S Somvanshi (India), said thatstatutory measures are needed tosupport the Safety at Sea Project.The standards aimed at under theProject cannot be sustained in astatutory void, he said.

Mr Rafiqul Islam (Bangladesh),suggested that CCRF should beadapted to the needs of member-countries. He expressed concernover IUU fishing, and emphasizedthe need for effective MCS inmarine waters.

While acknowledging the goodwork done so far, he suggested thatthe Secretariat consider taking upmore activities for which additionalfunds could be mobilized. A mission


and vision statement for the BOBP-IGO should be prepared for the nextfive years and placed for approval atthe next meeting of the GoverningCouncil. This should include astrategic action plan (SAP) forimplementation.

Dr Giasuddin Khan (Observer,The WorldFish Center)complimented the BOBP-IGO forits work despite time and humanresource constraints. He said thatBangladeshi fishers are morevulnerable to risks at sea thanothers; the minimum safetyrequirements on board fishingvessels should be promoted at theearliest. He urged a country-specificapproach for proper implementationof the Code of Conduct.

He said the important work of theerstwhile BOBP over three phasesshould be reviewed to find outwhether some useful follow-upcould be done and recommendationsstill valid could be adopted. He saidbasic studies on the health of fishstocks are very important. Historicaltrends in fish production should beanalysed to plan for the futuregrowth of marine fisheries in theregion.

Mr Piyasena, said that Sri Lankawas finalizing legislation for boatconstruction norms for presentationto Parliament. The Governmentproposed to convene a stakeholderconsultation in this connection, andBOBP-IGO’s assistance would berequired to facilitate the process.He also said that a management planwas urgently needed for manyimportant fishery resources that hadgot depleted. The CanadianInternational Development Agencywas helping out with managementplans for a few important fin andshell fish species, but more speciesneeded to be included in the ambitof management plans. The BOBP-IGO could provide technical inputsfor such plans.

Mr Piyasena said Sri Lanka fullyendorsed the idea of a mission andvision statement for BOBP-IGO andformulation of a SAP.

Dr Naseer said the Dhivehi versionof the CCRF, translated by theBOBP-IGO, was used extensivelyduring the stakeholder consultationsto finalise the new fisherieslegislation of the country. Each andevery participant at the Consultationwas given with a copy of the Code.

He concurred with the idea of amission and vision statement and aSAP for the BOBP-IGO. He saidmember-countries should guide theSecretariat in preparing theproposed road map, which was to besubmitted to the Governing Councilat its next meeting. The archives ofthe former BOBP and thedocumentation created by theBOBP-IGO should be put tomaximum use, said Dr Naseer.

Dr Somvanshi was pleased with theprogrammes concerning safety offishers, fishing boat constructionand fish stocks. He said theoutcomes of such programmesshould be integrated into policydocuments and legislation.

Responding to the varioussuggestions made, the Director ofthe BOBP-IGO said the objective ofassimilating the principles of CCRFwould be addressed in two stages.During the first, the documentwould be popularized amongstakeholders by circulatingtranslated versions of the main Codeand its Technical Guidelines.Adapting the Code to meet localrequirements should be attempted inthe second stage.

About gender-focus activities, hesaid that the Secretariat proposed toconduct detailed studies on the roleof women in fisheries. He askedmember-countries to identifywomen consultants for the proposedstudy. About possible interventionsin the cyclone-affected areas ofMyanmar, he proposed that BOBP-IGO ask the concerned agency inMyanmar whether it would needtechnical inputs from BOBP-IGO.

The Chair remarked that BOBP-IGO had undertaken voluminousand important activities fordevelopment of marine fisheries

during the year. The report of theSecretariat for April 2007-March2008 was adopted.

Report on the Third TechnicalAdvisory Committee (TAC) Meeting

The Secretariat presented the reportof the Third Meeting of the TACheld at Beruwala, Sri Lanka, on28-29 March, 2008.

Dr Giasuddin Khan enquired aboutthe BOBP-IGO partneringorganisations like SEAFDEC (SouthEast Asian Fisheries DevelopmentCenter) and BOBLME ( Bay ofBengal Large Marine Ecosystem)that are active in marine fisheries.The Director, BOBP-IGO, said inreply that discussions have beengoing on with SEAFDEC on variousactivities. But the BOBLME is notfully functional yet. The Secretariatwelcomed the suggestion ofcooperation with theseorganisations.

The Bangladesh delegate said thata stock assessment exercise beingcarried out with support from theIslamic Development Bank and theGovernment of Malaysia would becompleted within two years. Indiasaid the Fishery Survey of Indiacould help out with stockassessment programme throughbilateral or multilateralarrangements. The BOBP-IGOcould facilitate such a process. Theobserver from The WorldFishCenter suggested that capacity-building in stock assessment wasvital and that this suggestion shouldbe taken up on a priority basis.

Role of Technical AdvisoryCommittee

The Director, BOBP-IGO said thatthe Third GCM had recommendedthat the Secretariat make a thoroughassessment of the mandate andfunctions of the TAC and present areport to the Governing Council.The issue was raised at the ThirdMeeting of TAC. This meetingsuggested that the TAC could interalia play the following roles:

(i) develop the work plan for theOrganisation,


(ii) suggest policyrecommendations to theGoverning Council, and

(iii) identify emerging issues infisheries.

In general, the TAC members weresatisfied with the functions of theTAC and appreciative of the tasksaccomplished by the TAC. Membersalso felt the BOBP-IGO is just aboutfive years old; it might be prematureto examine the role of TAC at thisjuncture. Such reviews could beconducted after 10 to 15 years.

The Bangladesh delegate suggestedthat the DoF would be moreappropriate than the BangladeshFisheries Research Institute (BFRI)to represent his country in the TAC.

The Governing Council suggestedthat a review of the role of TAC betaken up after five years i.e. in 2013.It also said that BFRI shouldcontinue to represent Bangladesh asa technical and researchorganisation.

The Governing Council accepted theReport of the Third Meeting of theTAC presented by the Secretariat.

IGO programme and activities forApril 2008-March 2009

The Director, BOBP-IGO, presentedthe proposed programme andactivities for April 2008-March, 2009.

The work plan proposed that BOBP-IGO continue with its capacity-

building and resource managementactivities. The Secretariat wouldcarry out two scoping studies onmanagement of small-scale tunafisheries and management of tigershrimp fisheries and four newstudies on alternative livelihoods,impact of fuel price hike on marinefisheries, impact of climate changeon marine fisheries and capacity-building for improving food safetyin marine fisheries. In addition, avision and mission document and aSAP would be presented in the nextmeeting of the GCM.

In response, the GCM agreed to thefollowing changes in the activities:

(i) For ‘Fisherfolk Week’celebrations, the Secretariatwill prepare documentaries ondevelopmental issues relevantto the needs of each member-country.

(ii) On the engagement of localconsultants, the process shallbe initiated in consultation withthe focal point in each member-country.

(iii) In the proposed study on“Impact of Fuel Price Hike onMarine Fisheries”, a componenton the impact on consumers andremedial measures may beincluded in the study.

(iv) The Secretariat may develop abase paper on “Preparation ofNational Plans of Action onIUU Fishing”.

Administrative Matters

The Governing Council approvedthe appointment of M/s Varadarajan& Co, Chartered Accountants,Chennai, as auditors for the BOBP-IGO for 2007 and 2008. It agreed tothe terms of reference proposed forthe post of Senior ProgrammeAdvisor. The Secretariat was askedto circulate the vacancyannouncement widely and write tomember-countries as well forfurther circulation within ministriesand departments.

The Governing Council also agreedto the Secretariat’s proposal torecruit a Policy Analyst. The GCMapproved the terms of reference forthe post and suggested that this postalso be publicized widely.

The idea of secondment of technicalpersonnel from member-countries tothe BOBP-IGO Secretariat for aperiod ranging from 12 to 18months was agreed to in principle.The GCM asked the Secretariat tosubmit a detailed proposal tomember-countries.

Other Matters

The Governing Council suggestedthat in future the BOBP-IGO mayalso play the role of a managementadvisory body in the region forsustainable development of fishstocks in the Bay of Bengal. TheSecretariat was asked to prepare anote on the proposal for the nextmeeting of the Governing Council.

The Governing Councilunanimously agreed that Myanmarshould be requested to joint theBOBP-IGO. The Government ofIndia was asked to take the lead inthe matter.

The Governing Council thankedBangladesh for hosting the fourthGCM and accepted India’s offer tohost the next meeting early in 2009.The Report of the GoverningCouncil was adopted on 07 May2008.


The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has setup a Developing World Working Group(DWWG) to advise the Council. The DWWG is

an important specialist group of the MSC and meetsannually. The second meeting of the DWWG was heldin Brussels, Belgium on 26 April 2008. Dr Y S Yadava,Director of BOBP-IGO and a member of the DWWG,took part. Ms Meredith Lopuch of the Worldwide Fundfor Nature chaired the meeting.

Ms Yemi Oloruntuyi of the Council provided a briefupdate on recent developments.

She said that MSC is doing pilot assessments of sixsmall-scale fisheries. It is also researching exports (byorigin and species) of small-scale fisheries to markets ofthe developed world.

The Council updated members on the status of projectssuggested at the 2007 meeting of the DWWG. Theseincluded a trust fund for capacity-building; incentivesfor participation in the Marine Stewardship Council;guidance for NGOs of developing nations; and keystoneprojects.

The DWWG agreed that seafood trade amongdeveloping nations should be increased. It alsodiscussed ways by which members of DWWG coulddiscuss issues throughout the year rather than just once ayear. It discussed three proposals in the meeting’sagenda:

• Developing a template to certify action plans;

• MSC fishery associates; and

• Fishery certification training package.

Members evinced keen interest in the first and thirdproposals. They agreed that any training kit or tool forcertification must include not only the economic andmarket benefits of certification, but also theenvironmental and political benefits. The tools shouldbuild on work already done in developing countriesrelating to ecological sustainability and management.A range of projects was discussed, including the GTZdevelopment of tools to help fishers honour the Code ofConduct for Responsible Fisheries; the COBI andWWF pre-analysis tool; and the Parfish tool developedby MRAG, which is used in India.

Members pointed out that since MSC’s core mission isenvironmental sustainability, it should focus onimproving the fisheries environmental performance ofmembers.

The Working Group said it was necessary to raiseawareness about the MSC and its programmes and theirpotential benefits in developing nations – includinggovernment and private managers and potential donors.Funding was needed to strengthen and improve fisheriesand make it certifiable.

MSC Meet ing

Developing World Working Group ofthe Marine Stewardship Council Meetsin Brussels, Belgium

Marine Stewardship Council

The Marine StewardshipCouncil (http://www.msc.org)or the MSC is an internationalnon-profit organization set up topromote solutions to theproblem of overfishing. TheMSC runs the only certification and eco-labellingprogramme for wild-capture fisheries consistent withthe ISEAL Code of Good Practice for setting Socialand Environmental Standards and the Guidelines ofthe Food and Agriculture Organization of the UnitedNations on fisheries certification.

Presently, over 160 fisheries are engaged in MSCprogramme with 43 certified, 102 under assessmentand another 20-30 in confidential pre-assessment.Worldwide, more than 2 500 sea food productsresulting from the certified fisheries seal the blueMSC eco-label. The estimated retail value of seafoodproducts bearing the MSC logo is estimated around1.4 billion US $ annually. MSC labeled products arecurrently available in 42 countries.

The MSC offices are located in London, Seattle,Tokyo, Sydney, The Hague, Edinburgh, Berlin, andCape Town.

DWWG Members at the Meeting in Brussels.

Developing World Working Group ofthe Marine Stewardship Council Meetsin Brussels, Belgium


Chittagong fishing harbour bestreflects the hurly burly of marinefisheries in Bangladesh – teemingwith boats, fishermen and fish, withfish traders, vendors and labourers.Boats are setting out to sea orlanding, buyers and sellers arehaggling over the latest bonanza fromthe seas. Decibel levels are high asfish is unloaded, bargains aredemanded and struck, and the fishmoves out to markets in lorries, handcarts or cycle rickshaws.

The Chittagong fishing harbor, one ofthe biggest fish landing and berthingfacilities in Bangladesh, includes thePatharghata Fishery Ghat andMonoharkhali BFDC (BangladeshFisheries Development Corporation)Ghat. Patharghata Fishery Ghat, atraditional landing site, handles morethan 90 percent of the total fishlanded in Chittagong. This Ghat hasfour fish landing points. While onepoint is operated by the ChittagongCity Corporation, the other three areleased by the Chittagong PortAuthority to private parties. Theboats berth according to theirconvenience and pay Taka 200 perarrival and 2 percent of their totalsale to the Point Authority. The GhatAuthority provides water, electricityand ensures security.

The adjacent Monoharkhali BFDCGhat was established in the earlynineties and has one landing point.Few boats land their catch at this ghatdue to siltation problem. BFDChandles the catch at this site and therevenue earned from the commissionaccrues to the Government.

Some 46 percent of the 900 000marine fishers of Bangladesh maketheir living from Chittagong andCox’s Bazar. The country’s industrialfishery operates entirely out ofChittagong – you see industrialtrawlers, gill netters, set bag netters,long lines and trammel nets – an

Photographs by S Jayaraj

Text by S R Madhu

Chittagong FishingHarbour


estimated 44 000 in 2006. Besides,small-scale fishermen make theirliving from the sea using dinghies,chandis and balams. The majorfishing gear used in coastal areas andestuaries are gill net, set bagnet,trammel net, longline and beach seine.

Fisheries is one of the mainstays ofthe Bangladesh economy. Itaccounts for 4.86 percent of theGDP and 5.9 percent of exports, andsupplies about 80 percent of theanimal protein intake of itspopulation.

The country’s marine fish catch in2005-06 was nearly half a milliontonnes. (Inland fisheries accountsfor the bulk of fish production ofabout 2 million tonnes.) More than90% of the marine fish is landed byartisanal fishers, and some half amillion people make a living frommarine artisanal fisheries.

Important species caught includehilsa, catfishes, Indian salmon, seaperch, Bombay duck, snapper,pomfret, Indian mackerel, shark,rays and prawns. The industrial fleetfocuses mainly on shrimps.

Over the years, the marine fishingfleet, of industrial as well astraditional craft, has expanded. Butsome stocks are being over-exploited, some others under-exploited, says Mr Md RafiqulIslam, Director General, Departmentof Fisheries. Other problems withmarine fisheries are lack of areliable database, inadequate MCS(monitoring, control andsurveillance), plus the impact ofglobal warming and climate change.

Some of the solutions advocatedare: management action to controlfishing effort, to be supported by allstakeholders; access rights only toregistered fishers; a marine resourcedatabase and an effectivemonitoring system.

The Chittagong harbour is life in theraw – the photographs on thesepages provide glimpses. Harvestingthe sea, for all its hazards, isperhaps easier for fishers thanbattling forces on land. Rarely isdaily bread so hard earned.


Impact ofClimate Changeon Indian MarineFisheries*

Is climate change the nextapocalypse? Even optimistsagree that it is one of the most

critical global challenges of today.Research shows that climate changemay impact agriculture andfisheries; endanger food security;trigger sea-level rise; lead to sea icemelting and glacier retreat;aggravate natural disasters such asfloods, cyclones and droughts;accelerate the erosion of coastalzones; quicken species extinctionand the spread of vector-bornediseases; cause coral bleaching anddecline in biodiversity.

How has climate change affectedIndia? Can governments andcommunities adapt to it? Bothresearch and action on the subjectare at a nascent stage. But recentstudies throw some light on thesubject.

We summarize here the observationsand findings of two papers, byscientists from World Wildlife Fund-India (WWF) and the CentralMarine Fisheries Research Institute(CMFRI) respectively. The authorsare Dr Prakash Rao andDr E Vivekanandan, who discusshow India’s marine fisheries shouldadapt to climate change.

Cl imate Change

* Based on articles contributed byDr Prakash Rao andDr E Vivekanandan. Dr Prakash Rao isSenior Coordinator, Climate Changeand Energy Programme, WWF-India,New Delhi (Email: [email protected]).Dr Vivekanandan is Principal Scientistand Head, Demersal Fisheries Division,Central Marine Fisheries ResearchInstitute, Cochin, Kerala, India(Email: [email protected]).

Impact of climate change onclimatic parameters

Evidence of the impact of globalclimate change on marineenvironments is ample. But it isregional rather than global climatemodels that are appropriate forobservation and study of climatechange impacts (Clark, 2006).

Analyzing data on sea surfacetemperature (SST) and otherparameters from a variety of globalsources, Vivekanandan et al.(2009a) found warming of the seasurface along the entire Indiancoast. The SST increased by 0.2oCalong the northwest, southwest andnortheast coasts and by 0.3oC alongthe southeast coast during the45-year period from 1960 to 2005.The team has predicted that theannual average SST in the Indianseas would increase by 2.0oC to3.5oC by 2099.

Sea level rise in the Indian seas:The Inter-governmental Panel onClimate Change (IPCC) hasprojected that the global annualseawater temperature would rise by0.8 to 2.5oC by 2050. The sea levelwould rise by 8 to 25 cm. The sealevel rise for Cochin (southwestcoast) during the past century isestimated at 2 cm (Emery andAubrey, 1989; Das andRadhakrishna, 1993). But the rate ofincrease is accelerating. It may riseat the rate of 5 mm per year indecades to come. This willaccelerate erosion and increase therisk of flooding (Nicholls et al., 1999).

Impact on marine fisheriesProduction from marine capturefisheries has been stagnant duringthe past 10 years because ofoverfishing, unregulated fishing,habitat destruction and pollution;climate change may exacerbate this

1961 - 1976 1977 - 1986

1987 - 1996 1997 - 2005

30

29.5

29

28.5

27

27.5

27

26.5

26

25.5

25

24.5

24

Longtitude (0E)

Latit

ude

(0 N)

Plot of SST showing warming of sea surface along the Indian coast during1961-2005. (Source: ICOADS and AVHRR data from NOAA/NASA; the values nearthe vertical bar indicate SST (0C)

Impact ofClimate Changeon Indian MarineFisheries*


situation. Warming of water mayimpact fish diversity, distribution,abundance and phenology.Acidification of water will affectcalciferous animals. Storms, floodsand drought will severely impairfisheries. Sea level rise will lowerfish production and damage thelivelihoods of communities.

Some tropical fish stocks may faceregional extinction. Some othersmay move towards higher latitudes.Coastal habitats and resources arelikely to be impacted through sealevel rise, warming seatemperatures, extremes of nutrientenrichment (eutrophication) andinvasive species. Most fish specieshave a narrow range of optimumtemperatures related to their basicmetabolism and availability of foodorganisms. Even a difference of1oC in seawater may affect theirdistribution and life processes.

At shorter time scales of a fewyears, increasing temperature mayresult in changes in distribution,recruitment and abundance. Specieswith short-life span and rapidturnover such as plankton and smallpelagic fishes are most likely toexperience such changes.At intermediate time scales of a fewyears to a decade, changes indistribution, recruitment andabundance of many species may beacute. Changes in abundance willalter the species composition.At longer time scales of multi-decades, changes in net primaryproduction and transfer to highertrophic levels are possible.

Investigations carried out by theIndian Council of AgriculturalResearch show that different Indianmarine species will respond toclimate change as follows:(i) Changes in species compositionof phytoplankton may occur athigher temperature; (ii) Smallpelagics may extend theirboundaries; (iii) Some species maybe found in deeper waters as well;and (iv) Phenological changesmay occur.

Changes in species composition ofphytoplankton: Laboratory

experiments on seven species ofphytoplankton showed that somespecies may multiply faster athigher temperature (29oC) than atlower temperature (24oC). But theydecay earlier at the highertemperature.

Small pelagics extend theirboundaries: The oil sardineSardinella longiceps and the Indianmackerel Rastrelliger kanagurtaaccounted for 21 percent of themarine fish catch in 2006. Thesesmall pelagics, especially the oilsardine, have been known forrestricted distribution – betweenlatitude 8oN and 14oN and longitude75oE and 77oE (Malabar upwellingzone along the southwest coast ofIndia) where the annual averageSST ranges from 27 to 29oC.

Until 1985, almost the entire catchwas from the Malabar upwellingzone, there was little or no catchfrom latitudes north of 14oN. Duringthe last two decades, however,catches from latitude 14oN - 20 oNare increasing. In 2006, catches inthis area accounted for about15 percent of the all-India oilsardine catch.

The higher the SST, the better theoil sardine catch (Vivekanandanet al., 2009a). The surface waters ofthe Indian seas are warming by0.04oC per decade. Since the watersin latitudes north of 14oN arewarming, the oil sardine and Indianmackerel are moving to northernlatitudes. It is seen that catches from

the Malabar upwelling zone havenot gone down. Inference: Thesardines are extending northward,not shifting northward. The Indianmackerel is also found to beextending northward in a similar way.

According to CMFRI, the catch ofoil sardines along the coast of TamilNadu has gone up dramatically, witha record landing of 185 877 tonnesin 2006. The presence of the speciesin new areas is a bonus for coastalfishing communities. Assessing theirsocio-economic needs will greatlyhelp in developing coping strategiesfor adaptation to climate impacts.WWF is currently documentingcommunity perceptions andexperiences in relation to the oilsardine fishery of the eastern coasts.

Indian mackerel is getting deeper:Besides exploring northern waters,the Indian mackerel R. kanagurtahas been descending deeper as wellduring the last two decades(CMFRI, 2008).

The fish normally occupies surfaceand subsurface waters. During1985-89, only 2 percent of themackerel catch was from bottomtrawlers, the remainder was caughtby pelagic gear such as drift gillnet.During 2003-2007, however, anestimated 15 percent of themackerel has been caught by bottomtrawlers along the Indian coast.It appears that with the warming ofsub-surface waters, the mackerel hasbeen extending deeper anddownward as well.


Spawning: threadfin breams likeit cool: Fish have strongtemperature preferences so far asspawning goes. The timing ofspawning, an annually occurringevent, is an important indicator ofclimate change. Shifts in thespawning season of fish are nowevident in the Indian seas.

The threadfin breams Nemipterusjaponicus and N. mesoprion aredistributed along the entire Indiancoast at depths ranging from 10 to100 m. They are short-lived(longevity: about 3 years), fastgrowing, highly fecund andmedium-sized fishes (maximumlength: 35 cm). Data on the numberof female spawners collected everymonth off Chennai from 1981 to2004 indicated wide monthlyfluctuations.

However, a shift in the spawningseason from warmer to relativelycooler months (from April-September to October-March) wasdiscernible (Vivekanandan andRajagopalan, 2009). Whereas35.3 percent of the spawners ofN. japonicus occurred in warmmonths during 1981-1985, only 5.0percent of the spawners occurred inthe same season during 2000-2004.

What about the cool months?During 1981-1985, 64.7 percent ofthe spawners occurred duringOctober-March, whereas as high as95.0 percent of the spawnersoccurred during the same season in2000-2004.

A similar trend was observed inN. mesoprion too. The occurrence ofspawners of the two speciesdecreased with increasingtemperature during April-September, but increased withincreasing temperature duringOctober-March over the time-scale.It appears that SST between 28 and29oC may be the optimum. Whenthe SST exceeds 29oC, the fish shiftsthe spawning activity to seasonswhen the temperature is around thepreferred optima.

These changes may have an impacton the nature and value of fisheries

(Perry et al., 2005). If small-sized,low value fish species with rapidturnover of generations are able tocope up with changing climate, theymay replace large-sized high valuespecies, which are already decliningdue to fishing and other non-climatic factors (Vivekanandan etal., 2005).

Such distributional changes mightlead to novel mixes of organisms ina region, leaving species to adjust tonew prey, predators, parasites,diseases and competitors (Kennedyet al., 2002), and result inconsiderable changes in ecosystemstructure and function.

False Trevally populations declinein the Gulf of Mannar: As part of aWWF India-commissioned project,the Suganthi Devadason MarineResearch Institute (SDMRI),Tuticorin, undertook a study in 2004in the Gulf of Mannar region toanalyze the effect of climate changeon the fishery of False Trevally(Lactarius lactarius) and thereduction in the income of small -scale fishermen. The project helpedidentify the migratory patterns ofthe fish species.

False Trevally is an economicallyand culturally important fish inIndia and found near theRameshwaram coast of south eastIndia. The species is generally seenat depths ranging from 15 to 90metres. But over the past few years,there has been a steady decline inthe catch of this fish – both becauseof human disturbance and changesin ocean temperatures. Destructivefishing practices have also led todecline of the species. Result: thespecies has moved to other regionsalong the coast including the eastcoast of Sri Lanka.

Currently, it is difficult to find outhow much of catch fluctuation isdue to changes in fish distribution.A time-series analysis on stockbiomass of different species alongthe Indian coasts does not exist.Moreover, catches are influenced byeconomic factors such as therelative price paid for different typesof fish, and changes in fishingmethods or fishing effort. Forinstance, introduction ofmechanized craft in the 1960s,motorized craft in the 1980s, andlarge trawlers for multiday fishingin the 1990s substantially increasedthe fish catch along the Indian coast.These non-climatic factors oftenobscure climate related trends infish abundance. Perhaps ade-trending analysis for removingthe impact of non-climatic factorsmay help arrive at conclusions onthe impact of climate change onmarine fisheries.

The effects of changed fishmigration and distribution caused byclimate change are most difficult todeal with for highly migratoryspecies, such as tuna. It is not clearwhether the spurt in yellowfin tunafishery in the Bay of Bengal andeastern Arabian Sea in the last fiveyears is due to climate drivenchanges in the migration route ofthe fish.

Coral reefs may become remnants:Coral reefs are the most diversemarine habitat, which support anestimated one million speciesglobally. They are highly sensitiveto climatic influences and areamong the most sensitive of allecosystems to temperature changes,exhibiting the phenomenon knownas coral bleaching when stressed byhigher than normal sea temperatures.Corals usually recover frombleaching, but die in extreme cases.

In the Indian seas, coral reefs arefound in the Gulf of Mannar, Gulfof Kachchh, Palk Bay, AndamanSea and Lakshadweep Sea. Indiancoral reefs have experienced29 widespread bleaching eventssince 1989 and intense bleachingoccurred in 1998 and 2002 when the


SST was higher than the usualsummer maxima.

By using the relationship betweenpast temperatures and bleachingevents and the predicted SST foranother 100 years, Vivekanandan etal. (2009b) projected thevulnerability of corals in the IndianSeas. They believe that the coralcover of reefs may soon startdeclining. The number of decadallow bleaching events will remainbetween 0 and 3 during 2000-2089,but the number of decadalcatastrophic events will increasefrom 0 during 2000-2009 to8 during 2080-2089.

Given the implication that reefs willnot be able to sustain catastrophicevents more than three times adecade, reef building corals arelikely to disappear as dominantorganisms on coral reefs between2020 and 2040. Reefs are likely tobecome remnant between 2030 and2040 in the Lakshadweep sea andbetween 2050 and 2060 in otherregions in the Indian seas.

These projections take intoconsideration only the warming ofseawater. Other factors such asincreasing acidity of seawater arenot considered. If acidificationcontinues in future as it does now,all coral reefs would be dead within50 years. Given their centralimportance in the marine ecosystem,the loss of coral reefs is likely tohave several ramifications.

Impacts of climate change oncoastal systems

Coastal India (with over 8 000 kmof coastline) is a productive andecologically diverse landscape.Climate change may aggravate theimpact of injurious large-scaledevelopment and reduce theproductivity of marine ecosystems.

The Fourth Assessment Report ofthe IPCC (2007b) has suggested thatclimate change is likely tosignificantly impact coastal India.Some possible impacts:

• More hot days. More heat waves.More death from heat strokes inrecent years;

• Intrusion of saline water intogroundwater in coastal aquifer;and

• Decline in precipitation, droughtsin most delta regions of India anddrying of wetlands.

Worldwide, WWF studies havebrought out some importantunderlying impacts of climatechange on marine ecosystems –such as a rise in SST, decreasingmarine pH, shifting ocean currents,release of methane hydrates andrising sea level.

India is vulnerable to major climatechanges because of a long coastlineon the east and west and theHimalayan mountain range in thenorth. WWF- India has beenworking in some of India’s mostcritical ecosystems and landscape.Its studies seek to probe climateimpacts in the Sundarbans, thecoastal regions of south India and inthe Himalayas, and focus mainly onimpacts and adaptation; mitigation;and policy interventions.

Sundarbans: The Sundarbans ispart of the world’s largest delta(80 000 sq. km) formed fromsediments deposited by three greatrivers, the Ganges, Brahmaputra andMeghna. It consists of 102 low-lying islands in the Bay of Bengaland forms one of the world’s richestmangrove ecosystems (34 mangrovespecies). Faunal diversity issignificant too, with a strong tigerpopulation. The combination ofterrestrial, freshwater and marineflora and fauna makes this one ofthe most diverse and productiveecosystems in the country.

The Sundarbans is now under severestress due to sea level rise andassociated problems. A populationof four million in the IndianSundarbans is severely stressed.Mangroves are under threat, so areendangered species like tigers andturtles. An effective copingmechanism to reduce thevulnerability of the region is essential.

WWF- India is documenting localcommunity knowledge and climateperceptions through an initiative

known as ‘Climate Witness’. It waslaunched because of the strongindicators of climate change fromvarious scientific studies. WWF-India hopes that this initiative willmake the authorities integrateclimate change concerns intodevelopment planning through abottom-up approach.

Characteristics of the initiative:

• Stakeholders at different levelswill help develop a modelintervention;

• A homogeneous geographicalarea will be identified to validatethe model; and

• Local concerns on climatechange will be integrated intodevelopment planning.

Islands selected for the ‘ClimateWitness’ initiative studies are mostlyin the southwestern corner ofSundarbans (except ChhotoMollakhali and Bali islands situatedin the northeastern part of the delta).

Local communities in these siteswere more concerned by weatherphenomena (such as monsoondelays in recent years), than byrising temperatures. Localresidents reported very highfrequency of thunder and lightningduring storms in last 10-15 years.In their opinion depression andcyclonic storms occurred morefrequently than earlier. Delayedmonsoons and untimely rainimpaired agricultural productivityleading to loss of crops andincreased pest attacks.

Community interactions andadaptation responses

The WWF- India has been studyingthe coping capacities ofcommunities – particularly in thoseislands where landmass has beenlost over the past few decades.Community knowledge is beingclassified on environmental impactslike soil erosion, loss of landmass,damage of coastal embankments,siltation, unsustainable livelihoodpractices, population pressure,storms and cyclones, effect of tidalwaves, etc.


Farmers and fishermen (both dependon the ecosystem) form a major partof the work force of these islands.Since industry isn’t developed,livelihood options are limited.Nearly 61.85 percent of therespondents surveyed were farmersor fishermen. Nearly 10 percentwere full-time fishers. A majority ofthe inhabitants were vulnerable toclimate-related adversities.

In response to climate change,village communities have beentaking short-term actions such as:

• Shifting the farming time becauseof shifting of monsoon season;

• Diversifying into differentweather-resistant crops;

• Constructing and renovatingponds and canals for rain waterharvesting and use in wintercultivation;

• Constructing mud-barragesaround the islands to protect themfrom saline water intrusion; and

• Reforesting of mangroves on themud barrage.

WWF- India says that incommunities dependent onecosystems, different stakeholdersmust come together to addressclimate change and environmentsecurity. They could develop site-specific measures at the local level,evolve a consensus for nationalstrategies, and supportinter-governmental processes.

The stakeholders would include thevery poor; farmers and fishers;local, state and national bodies;urban consumers; business andindustry; groups concerned withcoastal zone regulation; scientistsand academics.

When stakeholders at differentlevels are brought together on acommon platform, climate changeconcerns can be better integratedinto development planning.Resource centers and localknowledge networks can raiseawareness and strengthen action.Some other institutional processescan also be established.

How can fisheries adapt?

Options for adaptation are limited,but do exist. The impact of climatechange depends on the magnitude ofchange, and on the sensitivity ofparticular species or ecosystems(Brander, 2008).

Develop knowledge base forclimate change and marinefisheries: Considerable effortshould be made to collect historicalclimatic and oceanographic data –in addition to monitoring these keyparameters. Long-termenvironmental and ecologicalmonitoring programmes areimportant as such data cannot becollected retrospectively. In India,spatial marine fish catch and effortdata are available for the last fourdecades. However, a synergybetween the climatic andoceanographic data and fisheriesdata is needed. Projections onclimate change impact on fishpopulations have not beenperformed so far. Such projectionsneed to be developed as the firststep for future analytical andempirical models, and for planningbetter management adaptations.

Adapt the Code of Conduct forResponsible Fisheries (CCRF):Fish populations are facing thefamiliar problems of overfishing,pollution and habitat degradation.Reducing fishing mortality in themajority of fisheries, which arecurrently fully exploited oroverexploited, is the principalmeans of reducing the impacts ofclimate change (Brander, 2007).Reduction of fishing effort (i)maximizes sustainable yields, (ii)helps adaptation of fish stocks and

marine ecosystems to climateimpacts, and (iii) reducesgreenhouse gas emission by fishingboats (Brander, 2008).

Some of the most effective actionswhich we can take to tackle climateimpacts are to deal with the oldfamiliar problems such asoverfishing (Brander, 2008), andadapt the CCRF and IntegratedEcosystem-based FisheriesManagement (FAO, 2007).

Increase awareness on the impactsof climate change: Being asignatory to the United NationsFramework Convention on ClimateChange (UNFCCC), India hassubmitted the first NationalCommunication to the UNFCCCin 2004. The second NationalCommunication is under preparationfor submission in 2011.

National climate change responsestrategies are under preparation.A specific policy document on theimplications of climate change forfisheries needs to be developed forIndia. This document should takeinto account all relevant social,economic and environmentalpolicies and actions includingeducation, training and publicawareness related to climate change.Effort is also required to raiseawareness of the impact,vulnerability, adaptation andmitigation related to climate changeamong all stakeholders.

Strategies for evolving adaptivemechanisms: In the context ofclimate change, the primarychallenge to the fisheries andaquaculture sectors will be to ensurefood supply, enhance nutritionalsecurity, improve livelihoods andeconomic output and ensureecosystem safety. These objectivescall for identifying and addressingthe concerns arising out of climatechange and evolving adaptivemechanisms and implementingaction across all stakeholders atnational, regional and internationallevels (Allision et al., 2004;Handisyde et al., 2005; WorldFishCenter, 2007; FAO, 2008).


Strategies to promote sustainabilityand improve supplies should be inplace before the threat of climatechange assumes greater proportion.While the fisheries sector may striveto mitigate climate change byreducing CO

2 emissions, especially

by fishing boats, it could reduceimpact by following effectiveadaptation measures. There shouldbe fiscal incentives for reducing thesector’s carbon footprint, and forfollowing other mitigation andadaptation options.

Further ReadingAllison, E H, Adger, W N, Badjeck, MC, Brown, K, Conway, D, Dulvy, V K,Halls, A, Perry, A and Reynolds, J D(2004): Effects of climate change on thesustainability of capture andenhancement fisheries important to thepoor: analysis of the vulnerability andadaptability of fisherfolk living inpoverty. Fisheries Management ScienceProgramme, DFID, UK, ProjectSummer Report, pp. 21.

Brander, K M (2007): Global productionand climate change. Proc. Nat. Acad.Sci., 104: 19709-19714.

Brander, K M (2008): Tackling the oldfamiliar problems of pollution, habitatalteration and overfishing will help withadapting to climate change. MarinePollution Bulletin, 56, 1957-1958.

Clark, B M (2006): Climate change: alooming challenge for fisheriesmanagement in southern Africa. MarinePolicy, 30, 84-95.

CMFRI (2006): Marine FisheriesCensus 2005. Central Marine FisheriesResearch Institute, Cochin, India, pp. 104.

CMFRI (2007): Annual Report 2006-07.Central Marine Fisheries ResearchInstitute, Cochin, India, pp. 126.

CMFRI (2008): Research Highlights2007-2008. Central Marine FisheriesResearch Institute, Cochin, India, pp. 36.

Das, P K and Radhakrishna, M (1993):Trends and the pole tide in Indian tidegauge records. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci,102: 175-183.

Devaraj, M and Vivekanandan, E (1999):Marine capture fisheries of India:challenges and opportunities. Curr. Sci.,76, 314-332.

Dinesh Kumar, P K (2000): Studies onthe impact of selected sea level risescenarios on the coast and coastalstructures around Cochin. Ph.D. Thesis,Mangalore University, Mangalore,India, pp. 125.

Emery, K O and Aubrey, D G (1989):Tide gauges of India. J. Coast. Res., 5,489-500.

FAO (2007): Building adaptive capacityto climate change. Policies to sustainlivelihoods and fisheries. Food andAgriculture Organization, Policy Brief,8: pp. 16.

FAO (2008): Summary proceedings ofWorkshop on Climate Change andFisheries and Aquaculture: Options fordecision makers. Food and AgricultureOrganization, Rome, pp. 6.

Handisyde, N T, Ross, L G, Badjeck, MC, Allison, E H (2005): The effects ofclimate change on world aquaculture: aglobal perspective. Department forInternational Development, UK, pp. 151.

IPCC (2007): Impacts, adaptation andvulnerability summary for policymakers. Working Group II, FourthAssessment Report, Inter-governmentalPanel on Climate Change, pp. 16.

Jackson, G D and Moltschaniwskyj, NA (2001): The influence of ration levelon growth and statolith increment widthof the tropical squid Sepioteuthislessoniana (Cephalopoda: Loliginidae):an experimental approach. MarineBiology, 138, 819-825.

Jasper, B, Joe K Kizhakudan,Vivekanandan, E, Mohamad Kasim, H(2009): Effect of temperature andnutrients on growth of marine algae. In:Marine Ecosystems Challenges andOpportunities, Book of Abstracts(Ed. E Vivekanandan et al.), MarineBiological Association of India,February 9-12, Cochin, pp. 264-265.

Kennedy, V S, Twilley, R R, Kleypas, JA, Cowan Jr., J H, Hare, S R (2002):Coastal and marine ecosystems & globalclimate change. Potential effects on U Sresources. Pew Center on GlobalClimate Change, Arlington, USA, pp. 52.

Nicholls, R J, Hoozemans, F M J andMarchand, M (1999): Increasing floodrisk and wetland losses due to globalsea level rise: regional and globalanalyses. Global EnvironmentalChange, 9: S69-S87.

Perry, A L, Low, P J, Ellis, J R,Reynolds, J D (2005): Climate changeand distribution shifts in marine fishes.Science 308, 1912 – 1915.

Prasanna Kumar, S, Raj P Roshin, JayaNarvekar, Dinesh Kumar, P K andVivekanandan, E (2009): Is Arabian Searesponding to global warming andundergoing a climate shift? In: MarineEcosystems Challenges and

Opportunities, Book of Abstracts(Ed. E Vivekanandan et al.), MarineBiological Association of India,February 9-12, Cochin, pp. 248-249.

Rosamma Stephen (2008): Zooplanktonreflecting global warming. In: Impact ofClimate Change on Indian MarineFisheries. Proceedings of Winter School,Central Marine Fisheries ResearchInstitute, Cochin, India, pp. 207-210.

Thrane, M (2006): LCA of Danish fishproducts-new methods and insights. Int.J. Life Cycle Assessment, 11, 66-74.

Vidal, E A G, DiMarco, F P, Wormoth,J H and Lee P G (2002): Apex marinepredator declines ninety percent inassociation with changing oceanicclimate. Global Change Biology, 3, 23-28.

Vivekanandan, E, and Rajagopalan, M(2009): Impact of rise in seawatertemperature on the spawning ofthreadfin breams. In: Aggarwal P K(Ed.) Impact, Adaptation andVulnerability of Indian Agriculture toClimate Change, Indian Council ofAgricultural Research, New Delhi(in press).

Vivekanandan, E, Rajagopalan, M,Pillai, N G K (2009a): Recent trends insea surface temperature and its impacton oil sardine. In: Aggarwal P K (Ed)Impact, Adaptation and Vulnerability ofIndian Agriculture to Climate Change,Indian Council of Agricultural Research,New Delhi (in press).

Vivekanandan, E, Hussain Ali, M,Rajagopalan, M (2009b): Vulnerabilityof corals to seawater warming. In:Aggarwal, P K (ed) Impact, Adaptationand Vulnerability of Indian Agricultureto Climate Change, Indian Council ofAgricultural Research, New Delhi(in press).

Vivekanandan, E, Ratheesan, K,Manjusha, U, Remya, R and Ambrose, TV (2009c): Temporal changes in theclimatic and oceanographic variables offKerala. In: Marine EcosystemsChallenges and Opportunities, Book ofAbstracts (Ed. E Vivekanandan et al.),Marine Biological Association of India,February 9-12, Cochin, pp. 260-261.

Vivekanandan, E, Srinath, M and SomyKuriakose (2005): Fishing the food webalong the Indian coast. FisheriesResearch, 72, 241- 252.

WorldFish Center (2007): Fisheries andaquaculture can provide solutions tocope with climate change. WorldFishCenter Issues Brief, Penang, 1701: pp. 4.


Reg iona l Workshop on MCS

Regional Workshop on MonitoringControl and Surveillance Adopts theChittagong Resolution

The first regional workshop onMonitoring, Control andSurveillance (MCS) for

marine fisheries in the Bay ofBengal was held in Chittagong,Bangladesh, on 16-18 January 2008.Fisheries officials andrepresentatives from the coast guardand the navy of member-countries(Bangladesh, India, Maldives, andSri Lanka) took part, besidesconsultants, representatives of theFAO and the BOBP-IGO.

The inaugural session was chairedby Mr Parikshit Datta Choudhury,Joint Secretary, Ministry ofFisheries and Livestock (MoFL),Bangladesh.

Welcoming participants, Mr DattaChoudhury emphasized on thedanger to marine resources posed byincreasing fishing effort. He hopedthe workshop would pave the wayfor effective policy formulation onMCS in member-countries.

The workshop was divided intotechnical presentations anddiscussions; a field trip; and groupdiscussions to analyze issues andrecommend action.

Summary of the technical session

Dr Yugraj Singh Yadava, director ofBOBP-IGO, initiated the technicalsession with an overview of MCSmeasures in member-countries. Hesaid the rapid increase in the fisherpopulation in an open-access regimehas led to low catches and fishingrights conflicts. Member-countriesare not ready yet for a paradigmshift in policy emphasis fromproduction to management. Thelegal framework is insufficient,policies for fisheries managementare inadequate and compliancelevels are low. Citing FAO data, hesaid that in the Bay of Bengalregion, of 46 commonly exploited

species, 11 species are fullyexploited and four are fully or over-exploited.

He said that MCS ought to gobeyond its traditional definition ofpolicing. It should be seen as a pathto sustainable fisheries. An array oftools was available for MCS –legislation, data collection,improved communication andoverall support from political, socialand business interests. He highlightedthe importance of a vesselmonitoring system (VMS) for MCS.

Dr Yadava suggested that member-countries seek cooperation fromadvanced countries on MCS – indata and technology, for example –as proposed by the Code of Conductfor Responsible Fisheries (CCRF).

Mr Arne Andreasson, anindependent consultant, made apresentation on “Application ofMCS in small-scale fisheries”. Hesaid that MCS systems have mainlybeen designed for the industrialfisheries of developed countries.Special MCS systems are needed for

The Regional Workshop on MCS in progress.

Regional Workshop on MonitoringControl and Surveillance Adopts theChittagong Resolution


small-scale fisheries – which arescattered, with many small unitsoperating close to the shore,employing a wide range of gear, andlanding fish at numerous small andremote landing centres.

These special systems wouldinclude monitoring through randomsampling and the use of moderncommunications technology by theenforcing authority. Limits on effortthrough access regulations(licensing of fishing vessels, forexample), closed seasons, closedareas and gear restrictions, areenforceable measures.

He said that all MCS systems arecostly – but not in relation to thecost of not managing the resource atall. Efforts to decentralizemanagement decisions and movetowards co-management andcommunity management would leadto cost-effective MCS systems, withelements of self-control.

Discussing MCS in Bangladesh,Commander A R Chowdhury fromthe Bangladesh Coast Guard saidthat small-scale fisheries accountsfor about 93 percent of theBangladesh fish production of2.1 million tonnes.

The marine fishing fleet (industrialtrawlers, gill netters, set bag netters,long lines and trammel nets)increased from 17 385 to 44 082between 1997 and 2006.

He said Bangladesh had alreadyimplemented various controlmeasures, such as limits to fishingdays, control of mesh sizes,restricting trawling to within the40 m depth zone, guidelines for fishcapture, declaration of a sanctuaryfor hilsa. The government isregistering boats and encouragingalternative livelihoods for fishers.Despite these measures, MCS onsmall-scale fisheries is veryinadequate, Mr Chowdhury said.Only 15 to 20 percent of thecountry’s fishing vessels areregistered. Registration andlicensing are multi-windowprocesses that discourage fishers.The licensing fee is perceived ashigh, it has to be renewed annually.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard andthe Navy, responsible forenforcement as well as search andrescue operations, are constrainedby manpower shortage and lack ofair support. Illegal fishing iswidespread, foreign vessels engagein poaching.

Mr Chowdhury suggested thatBangladesh learn from theexperience of countries likeMalaysia in designing a cost-effective MCS regime. Thecountry’s surveillance systemneeded to be upgraded. VMS, over-the- horizon radar and a strongCoast Guard were essential, as also .well-coordinated research toadvance the MCS regime.

Discussing the status of MCS inIndia, Dr V S Somvanshi, DirectorGeneral, Fishery Survey of India,said that India is endowed with8 118 km of coastline, 0.53 millionsq. km of continental shelf and2.02 million sq. km of EEZ.Fisheries contributes 1.07 percent tothe total GDP. India’s fishbiodiversity represents nearly10 percent of the world’s fishbiodiversity. Fisheries in India iscomplex because of its multi-species, multi-gear, multi-craft andmulti-stakeholder character.

The Ministry of Agriculture (2001)has estimated the potential yieldfrom marine sources as 3.92 milliontonnes. The present exploitationlevel is about 76 percent of thepotential. The country has some3.57 million marine fishers and afishing fleet of 0.3 million. Anopen-access system leads touncontrolled exploitation. Illegal,Unreported and Unregulated (IUU)fishing further aggravates theproblem.

Registration of fishing vessels inIndia follows stipulations underdifferent Acts for vessels < 20m and

Speakers at the Regional Workshop(from top to bottom): Mr Arne

Andreasson, Mr NimalsiriAbeywickrama, Cdr A R Chowdhury,

Dr V S Somvanshi, Capt. AhmedJihad and Mr Mohamed Shameem.


vessels > 20m. But there is nouniformity either within a state orbetween states. A standard systemthroughout the country would be apriority. Regional co-operationwould help curb IUU fishing.

The paper proposed standardizationof craft and gear; zonation of seafishing areas; a colour code forfishing boats; a uniform system ofregistration; installation of VMS;strengthening of the fisheriesdatabase; information networkingfor fisheries; awareness-raisingamong fishermen on resourcemanagement.

Mr Mohamed Shameem, Ministryof Fisheries, Agriculture & MarineResources (MoFAMR), Maldives,and Capt. Ahmed Jihad of theMaldives Coast Guard, discussedthe status of MCS in their country.They said the island nation ofMaldives has more water than land,and marine fisheries is the strongesttraditional sector. The country has atotal population of just over 300 000scattered over 200-odd small coralislands.

The major fisheries are pole and linefishing for skipjack tuna; handlining and long lining for yellowfinand bigeye tuna; reef fisheriestargeting different species; anda small yet profitable aquariumfishery targeted at export markets.

The major governing regulation isthe Fisheries Act of 1987. It ispresently being revised to take intoaccount changes in managementneeds and international obligations.MoFAMR is the lead agency taskedwith fisheries management anddevelopment in the country. It issupported in the execution of itsmandate by the Fisheries AdvisoryBoard (FAB).

Compliance is a major problem, thetwo authors said. Some reasons fornon-compliance: lack of awareness,inconsistencies in regulations issuedby different ministries, inadequateenforcement capacities, the socio-cultural environment of small islandcommunities that rely oncommunity cohesion and solidarity.

Maldives has implemented a VesselTracking System (VTS) for allvessels licensed to operate in theouter EEZ. Established in 1995, theVTS is monitored by the MaldivianCoast Guard. This is done byinstalling vessel-trackingtransponder equipment on board thevessel. Frequent power failure andabsence of written rules in operatingtransponders impair the efficacy ofthe system.

Maldives plans motivating fishers toregulate themselves. MoFAMR willprovide fishing forecast informationfree of charge exclusively toregistered fishing vessels. Fisherswill then be encouraged to installVMS systems: better catches forthem, systematic vessel informationand catch reports for MoFAMR.This will encourage boatregistration and enhance sea safetyas well.

Mr Nimalsiri Abeywickrama,Director (Planning), Ministry ofFisheries & Aquatic Resources(MoFAR), Sri Lanka, presented apaper on the status of MCS in hiscountry. He said Sri Lanka’s marinefishing fleet of some 43 000includes more than 39 000 in coastalfisheries. Some 600 000 peopledepend on the coastal fishery.Small-scale crafts, about 90 percentof the fishing fleet, contribute abouttwo-thirds of the domestic fishproduction.

The December 2004 tsunamitriggered uncoordinated andun-monitored restoration effort anda big rise in the number of fishingboats; consequently, lower catch perunit effort and income from coastalfisheries. Harmful, IUU fishing hasalso gone up.

The Department of Fisheries andAquatic Resources (DFAR) is theagency that enforces various Acts.Other key agencies for fisheriesmanagement in Sri Lanka are theMoFAR, the National AquaticResources Research & DevelopmentAgency and the NationalAquaculture DevelopmentAuthority.

The paper said that coastal fisheriesin Sri Lanka have either reached themaximum sustainable yield or areclose to it. A managementprogramme has been launched forcoastal fisheries. Seven hundredareas have been set apart formanagement through communityparticipation. Alternative incomeopportunities for fishers are to becreated to reduce fishing pressure.

Strengthening of MCS andintroducing a vessel monitoringsystem will be other priority areas.Assistance and co-operation will benecessary from regional and globalmanagement organizations.

Summary of group discussions

Three groups were constituted todiscuss different aspects of MCS —physical environment requirements(Group I); governance and policyenvironment requirements (GroupII) and the role of CBOs/ NGOs insetting up MCS regime (Group III).

According to Group I,comprehensive stock assessment isnecessary to determine the fleet’soptimum size for sustainableexploitation. The right fleet size andgear can be then worked out, andcategory-wise operational area offleets defined. This will also helpreduce inter-category conflict.Registration of vessels should bemandatory. Awareness should bebuilt to foster a culture ofregistration.

The group said that VMS should bemandatory for large vessels. Forsmall vessels, measures like colour-coding and display of flags andregistration numbers, could beconsidered as part of the VMS.

Encouraging communityparticipation in MCS and SARoperations is urgently necessary, thegroup said. NGOs can be effectivein this context. For harbour-basedvessels, governments can introducea smart card and a harbour pass.Two-way communication (VHF andcell phone) could be promoted toenable both MCS and distresscommunication. Local communities


equipped with internet access couldbe tapped to provide neededinformation.

Group II said that existing MCSlegislation in member-countriesshould be revised. An informationbase is lacking, and mechanisms for

collecting, collating anddisseminating national statistics areinadequate. All stakeholders shouldtake part in making data collectioneffective. The group lauded theMCS regime in Maldives and urgedstakeholder consultations fordeveloping any MCS regime.

Steady budget support is essentialfor MCS, the group said. It can beused commercially, as in theMaldives, to make it popular. Giventhe shared stock of member-countries, regional cooperation ismust for a successful MCS. There isalso scope for sharing informationto curb IUU fishing.

Group III suggested thatcommunity-based organisations(CBOs) could help enforce MCS.In fact, fishers should be able tohelp enforce MCS through CBOs,with NGOs serving as facilitators.The government should incorporatefisher concerns into themanagement regime.

The group found thatco-management will not workwithout legal empowerment ofCBOs. On the other hand, there is arisk of power misuse by CBOs. Thepractical solution at present is forCBOs to work with the government.

The group recommended amicro-level exercise by governmentto determine the norms for scientificand environment-friendly MCS,depending on the type of craft, fishspecies, time of the year and geartype. This should be carried out andpublished. Accordingly, an area-specific management plan could beset out.

The group concluded that a CBOnetwork could help ensure a soundMCS in fisheries, if properlyconceived and designed, with anaccompanying legal, managementand financial framework.

On the final day of the regionalworkshop, participants passed theChittagong Resolution on the basisof the group recommendations.The text of the resolution is givenon page 42.

Participants engaged inGroup Discussions.


Conscious that the marine fisheriessector is highly important for theeconomies of member-countries ofthe Bay of Bengal ProgrammeInter-Governmental Organisation(BOBP-IGO);

Recognizing that the marinefisheries sector is a majorcontributor to the livelihoods, foodand nutritional security and foreignexchange earnings of member-countries;

Realizing that a high percentage ofthe world’s artisanal fisheries andsmall-scale fisheries areconcentrated in South Asia, wheremany of the coastal stocks arealmost fully exploited;

Recognizing that the marinefisheries sector largely operates inan open-access regime, and that thepresent condition of fisheries islargely attributable to weaknessesin the institutional and regulatoryenvironment, a declining resourcebase and poor socio-economicconditions;

Realizing that monitoring, controland surveillance (MCS) regimes areweak in the marine fisheries sectorof member-countries;

Concerned about the social andpolitical constraints to regulatingaccess to marine fisheries and tooptimizing the fishing fleet;

Concerned that the current fisheriesmanagement regime for coastalfisheries in the region may lead tofurther unsustainable levels ofexploitation of fisheries resources,and thereby impact the livelihoodsof small-scale fishermen;

Concerned that the supportingregulations and policy frameworkrelevant to the needs of MCS forsmall-scale fisheries, remaininadequately addressed by fisheriesand maritime administrations in thesector;

Recognizing the limitations ininstitutional capacity of fisheriesand maritime administrations in theregion to undertake allresponsibilities associated with themandate;

Recognizing that the 1995 Code ofConduct for Responsible Fisheries(CCRF) of the FAO does notadequately address the need andrequirements of MCS in small-scalemarine fisheries;

Emphasizing the urgent need toaddress the multi-dimensional issueof MCS for small-scale fishermenin a holistic manner; and

Recognizing that the problem is notinsurmountable;

We, the representatives of Fisheriesand Maritime Administrations,Coast Guard and Fishermen’sAssociations, nominated by theGovernments of Bangladesh, India,the Maldives and Sri Lanka, havingparticipated in the BOBP -IGORegional Workshop on MCS forSmall-scale Fisheries held inChittagong, People’s Republic ofBangladesh, from 16 -18 January2008, now therefore:

Resolve to address, as a matter ofurgency, the issue of MCS forsmall-scale fisheries;

Recommend that MCSrequirements be comprehensivelyintegrated into every member-country’s fisheries policy andregulatory and managerialframeworks. This would includeassociated commitments under theCCRF and other regional, inter-regional or global instruments andinitiatives;

Emphasize the need to rationalizeinstitutional mandates and inter-sectoral cooperation at the nationallevel, in order to enhanceimplementation of MCS in small-scale fisheries;

Recommend that fisheries andmaritime administrations enhancetheir knowledge and database onthe health of the fish stocks and oncommensurate efforts required toharvest resources in a sustainablemanner;

Recommend the development andimplementation of education,training and awareness programmeswhich satisfy and promote MCSrequirements;

Recommend that mandatoryrequirements for improvingimplementation of MCS besupplemented by other strategieswhich involve the participation offisher communities, families, themedia and other stakeholders inorder to promote the adoption of awide range of MCS measures;

Recommend that member-countries, while implementingMCS, also undertake measures toenhance the economic viability ofsmall-scale fishing enterprises, asan essential element of the marinefisheries sector;

Recommend that member-countriesmake full use of the availabletechnologies, including VesselMonitoring System whereverfeasible, in support of MCS;

Recommend that member-countriesemploy innovative measures suchas co-management. This will be aneffective cost-sharing measure forMCS and enhance the participationof fishers and other stakeholders inthe management of marine fisheriesresources;

Recommend that member-countriesundertake measures to formulatetime-bound action plans forsuccessful implementation of MCSand for strengthening the nationalagencies responsible for MCS;

Recommend that member-countriesundertake measures directedtowards regional cooperation inensuring successful implementationof MCS; and

Strongly recommend the formationand implementation of a regionalMCS programme, employing aconsultative and participatoryapproach, building uponinstitutionally derived data and theoperational experiences of small-scale fishermen.

Adopted on Friday, 18th January2008 in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

The Chittagong Resolution


The rapid depletion of fishstocks is a major challengefor fisheries managers

worldwide. Confronting thischallenge, the FAO spearheaded aglobal agreement on the Code ofConduct for Responsible Fisheries(CCRF), which was adopted bymember-nations in October 1995.

The Code was hailed as a landmarkglobal initiative in fisheries. Buteven 13 years after its adoption, theCode has not been properlyunderstood by many stakeholders,especially in developing countries.One reason is the complex phrasingand legalistic language of the Code.

To create awareness among juniorand middle-level fisheries officersof member-countries of the BOBP-IGO (Bangladesh, India, Maldivesand Sri Lanka), a two-weekRegional Training Course on CCRFwas organised by the BOBP-IGOfrom 16 to 27 June 2008 in Chennaiand Mumbai, India.

In Mumbai, the Central Institute ofFisheries Education (CIFE), adeemed university, helped conductthe training. Four participants fromeach country took part.

The course was inaugurated inChennai on 16 June 2008. Dr DilipKumar, Director and Vice-Chancellor, CIFE; Dr V Sampath,Ex-Advisor, Ministry of EarthSciences; and Dr H Kasim,Principal Scientist and In-charge,Central Marine Fisheries ResearchInstitute (Chennai base) took part asguest speakers.

Welcoming participants, Dr Y SYadava, Director, BOBP-IGO, saidthe course was in pursuance of theIGO mandate of capacity-buildingin member-countries.

Dr Yadava described the Code as acomprehensive document meant toaddress fisheries issues in a practicalmanner. The BOBP-IGO had earlierorganised national workshops on theCCRF for senior policy makers ofmember-countries. The presenttraining course would help build acadre of middle-level officersconversant with the Code and itsTechnical Guidelines. He hoped thecourse would bridge the prevailingknowledge gap on the Code inmember-countries.

Dr V Sampath said that though theCode is a voluntary document, it hasmany references to internationallaws and conventions and istherefore binding on countries.The Code would facilitateinteraction among participants whocould learn from one another.He congratulated the BOBP-IGOfor organizing the course.

Dr Kasim said the Code providesclear guidelines for fishers on whatis expected from them, and for

administrators on how fishers can bemade a part of the process offisheries governance. Citingexamples from the field, he said theCode’s principles are hardlyimplemented. Whenever a fisher isasked to curb effort, he agrees, butlooks over the shoulder at hisneighbour who isn’t doing so!

Just as panchayats are now beingempowered politically, village-levelbodies should be empowered toenforce CCRF, Dr Kasim said.Fishers will then have a greatervoice in decision-making. Dr Kasimhoped that in future, such courseswould include more participantsfrom member-countries and fromother neighboring countries as well.

Dr Dilip Kumar, chief guest of theinaugural session, said that thecourse could help take the Code tothe grassroots through middle-leveland junior fisheries officials ofmember-countries. He said the Codeis comprehensive, and every countrycan adapt the Code to its own needs.

Participants Laud RegionalTraining Course on Code ofConduct for Responsible Fisheries

Regiona l Tra in ing Course – CCRF

The Participants at the Regional Training Course on CCRF.

Participants Laud RegionalTraining Course on Code ofConduct for Responsible Fisheries


The CIFE was happy to partner theBOBP-IGO in conducting thecourse. He hoped the partnershipand the experience would lead toeven better courses in future.

The pedagogical session of thecourse began with a lecture byDr Yadava on the BOBP-IGO, itsmandate, role, objectives andprogrammes. He discussed thetransformation of the BOBP to anInter-Governmental Organisationand its role in promoting sustainablefisheries in member-countries.

Dr Sampath then provided a‘historical overview’ of variousfisheries management approaches inthe Bay of Bengal region. Hediscussed the evolution of fisheriesmanagement in the Bay and thetransformation of focus fromeconomic growth to sustainability.

Day 2 began with a lecture byDr Yadava on the CCRF, its natureand scope. Describing the Code andits 12 Articles, Dr Yadava said theCode takes into account all aspectsof fisheries. He cited examples ofvarious activities in member-countries that in effect exemplifythe Code. But it should be adaptedbetter to the requirements ofmember-countries and involve allstakeholders.

Dr Sampath discussed the“International Plan of Action(IPOA) for reducing incidental catchof seabirds in longline fisheries andconservation of shark”. He said thaton the basis of IPOA, states wererequired to start implementing‘national plans’ no later than 2001.He urged BOBP-IGO member-countries to start preparing nationalplans at the earliest.

Dr Yadava presented the“International Plan of Action onmanagement of fishing capacity andto prevent, deter and eliminateIllegal, Unreported and Unregulated(IUU) Fishing”. He said the firstpart of the IPOA called on countriesand regional fisheries organizationsto achieve efficient, equitable, andtransparent management of fishingcapacity worldwide by 2005. The

second part – on IUU fishing – is apractical and action-oriented‘toolbox’ of measures which statescan use to act either directly orthrough regional fisheriesorganizations.

Mr Rajdeep Mukherjee (BOBP-IGO) discussed the Code’sTechnical Guidelines. He said10 guidelines and supplements hadbeen published so far by the FAO.They are meant to help formulationof an action plan to implement theCode. Mr Mukherjee said that infisheries management,differentiating the actual cause ofthe problem from the apparentcauses is a key.

Mr Rathin Roy (former BOBP staff)spoke on “Coming together tomanage fisheries”. He explained theimportance of co-operative actionby all stakeholders in implementingthe Code, and urged that actionshould focus not merely on fisheriesmanagement but also on fisheriesgovernance.

Ms Chandrika Sharma (InternationalCollective in Support ofFishworkers) discussed the ‘genderperspective’ in taking the Code tothe grassroots. She said that theearnings of fisherwomen go directlyinto family well-being, into foodand education. Hence the inclusionof women in fisheries objectives is amust. She highlighted the poorworking conditions at landingcentres – particularly their sanitationand the facilities for crèches – andcalled for a determined effort toimprove them.

Field visits

Field trips were organized on Day3 of the course, beginning with astakeholder meeting in ChinnaNeelankarai, a small fishing villageon the outskirts of Chennai, inKancheepuram district.

The Assistant Director of Fisheries(Marine), of the district, coordinatedthe visit. Course participants visitedthe berthing places of FRP boats onthe beach and talked to fishers aboutfishing areas, the condition of theircraft and gear, the catch

composition, etc. They then met21 traditional fishermen from fiveneighboring villages at the villagecommunity hall.

Course participants asked fisherswhether they knew about the Codeand its provisions on fishingoperations, safety at sea, the role ofwomen in fisheries. How could theCode be implemented better?

Fisher representatives said some ofthem had read the Tamil translationof the Code and talked about it withothers. Most of them accepted theCode’s principles and complied withrules and regulations on matters likeregistration and licensing of boats.However, they were concernedabout decline in resources, increasein the number of boats and use ofsmall mesh sizes by other groups offishers. Other points: Trawling ishurting their livelihoods. Vessel-shore communication facilities,essential for safety at sea, are poor.Women are active in fish marketingand dry fish making.

Responding to queries from coursetrainees, the fishers said that villagepanchayats help mitigate conflictsamong mechanized and non-mechanized fishers. But the fishersexpect the government to implementregulations better and to improveinfrastructure such as fish landingcentres. Fishers on their part haveconstructed artificial reefs toimprove fish habitats; they expectthe government to supplement theirefforts. Course trainees thanked thefishers for their time and insights.

On the fourth day, trainees visitedthe fishing harbour at Puducherry,where the Deputy Director ofFisheries explained basic facilitiesset up there (such as berthing for110 mechanized boats and 110motorized boats). The trainees thenvisited another fishing village, SolaiThandavan Kuppam, where theywere welcomed with shawls by thefisher community.

The fisher community expressedserious concern about purse-seiningand trawling in their village, majorcauses for resource depletion. They


said purse-seining should be bannedin Puduchery, as had been done inTamil Nadu.

The fishers were aware of the CCRFand its guidelines. They followedrules and regulations on boatregistration and display of theregistration number. They said theyadhered to safety requirements onboat maintenance, ascertainingweather conditions before fishingtrips, carrying enough drinkingwater, food, extra fuel, tools, rope,anchor, torch light, sails, etc.

The fishers said the president oftheir village committee wasauthorized to deal with conflicts.They felt that rules and regulationsought to be adapted to localconditions. They wanted bettercommunication facilities and lifesaving equipment. They also wantedshort-term training courses onengine maintenance and sea safety.

Course moves to CIFE, Mumbai

The CIFE part of the course beganon 20 June in Mumbai. Dr LathaShenoy, senior scientist and courseco-coordinator, welcomed theparticipants and introduced facultyand participants to one another.

Director Dilip Kumar said thatwhile fisheries is a state subject inIndia, the central government hasset up a strong R & D infrastructure,through eight institutions coveringmarine and inland fisheries andaquaculture. They function underthe aegis of the Indian Council ofAgriculture Research. CIFE is the

only institute that encompasses allthree areas.

Dr Kumar said that better links wereneeded between R & D and thefield. The fruits of research ought toreach fishers more effectively, andfisher problems addressed better byresearch interventions. He hopedthat the course trainees wouldinteract with CIFE faculty on allfisheries matters.

Dr Yadava said that promoting theCCRF was a major capacity-building activity of the BOBP-IGO.About the training course, he saidits three modules related to ahistorical overview of fisheriesmanagement; lectures on variousaspects of the Code plus field visitsand interaction with fishers; andgroup discussion and courseevaluation.

Dr Dilip Kumar began the pedagogysession of the course with apresentation on the CIFE. Hedescribed the institution’sachievements and its vision ofbecoming a global player forspecialized HRD in fisheries.Discussing “Co-management ofmarine fisheries resources”Dr P S Ananthan described thedifferent co-management regimes,with examples from BOBP-IGOmember-countries as well as Japan.

Dr R S Biradar explained “Costeffective approaches for collection,compilation and dissemination offisheries information”. He said thatwhile techno-economic and

biological data on fisheries isessential, the nature of fisheriesresources makes data collectionthrough a census difficult. Hediscussed the scope andmethodology of sampling processesto collect data, and stressed theimportance of training in reliablefishery statistics.

In his lecture on “Integration offisheries into coastal areamanagement”, Dr C S Purshothamansaid that coastal zone managementincludes conflict managementamong stakeholders. Stakeholderconsultations are therefore essential.He referred to the Indian SupremeCourt’s intervention on coastalaquaculture and the success ofintegrated coastal zone managementpractices in Kung Krabaen Bay,eastern Thailand.

Dr Latha Shenoy discussedadaptation of the CCRF to thegrassroots. She said that since theCode is voluntary, it requiresparticipation by all stakeholders.Since it is global, it has to bemodified for adaptation to localconditions. She discussed therelative merits of different ways todisseminate the Code.

On 21 June 2008, course traineesmet 30 members of the VersovaFisheries Co-operative Society atVersova fishing village, which islocated close to CIFE on a creek.More than 380 mechanized vessels(ranging from 5m to 15.5 m)operate from the village, which hasfour fisheries cooperative societies.

Members of the Cooperativecomplained about discharge ofuntreated city sewage into the seaand destruction of mangroves fordevelopment. They said they followgovernment regulations on matterslike vessel registration, mesh sizeand fishing bans; but suchregulations are often inappropriateand should be modified.

About controlling fishing effort, themembers said the governmentshould follow the rule ‘one fisherone boat’; often it grants licenses torich boat owners who already have a

Participants interacting with the fisher community inChinna Neelankarai, Chennai.


boat. The members described lackof alternative livelihoods as a majorproblem. Better education andtraining would give them moreoptions and reduce pressure onresources.

Group discussionGroup discussion followed the fieldvisit, with the course traineesdivided into four groups. Eachgroup included a member from eachcountry. Topics identified for groupdiscussions:

• Taking CCRF to the grassroots;• Role of stakeholders and

modalities/ mechanisms of theirparticipation in implementation ofthe Code;

• Alignment of policies andprogrammes to meet therequirements of implementation ofCCRF;

• Adaptation of the CCRF to meetthe local requirement.

The groups presented their findingsduring an interactive session on themorning of 23 June in which CIFEfaculty participated. They alsodiscussed policy issues.

At the concluding session, Dr DilipKumar hoped the course wouldbenefit participants and theircountries in implementing the Codeat the grassroots level. He urgedparticipants to put their learning togood use and promote sustainablefisheries. Dr Latha Shenoy thankedthe BOBP-IGO for choosing CIFEas partner and said the course wasan enriching experience. Thetrainees returned to Chennai on23 June 2008.

Final session of the course inChennai, 24 June 2008

The session began with the coursetrainees sharing their experiences ofthe field visits and course work atChinna Neelankarai, Puducherry andMumbai. They said the field visitsgave them a better understanding ofground realities and of the views androles of stakeholders in resourcemanagement.

A second group discussion ensued,with the groups this time arrangedby country. They assessed

implementation of the Code in theirrespective countries and how itcould be adapted to meet localrequirements. The four focus areaswere the same as in the earliergroup discussion.

On the basis of discussions carriedout for almost two full days, arepresentative from each countrymade a presentation on 27 June.

Major observations are summarizedbelow:• A wide knowledge gap exists

among stakeholders aboutresponsible fishing practices andthe Code;

• Participation of other stakeholdersin fisheries management is limitedbut gradually increasing;

• There is a communication gapbetween the government includingR & D institutes and otherstakeholders;

• The Code is more acceptable andeasier to understand whentranslated into local languages orpresented through posters; and

• Fishers are concerned aboutresource depletion and are eager toplay a responsible role.

Some important suggestions thatemerged from the groupdiscussions:• For effective dissemination of the

Code, education and training areimportant tools.

• Mass media like TV and radio canbe significant channels ofdissemination. Since many fishersare familiar with mobile phones,Short Message Service (SMS)

could be used as a delivery tool.Messages could also bedisseminated through prayerservices in places of worship.

• Alternative income-generationactivities and vocational skillsshould be popularized amongfishers.

Concluding ceremony

The concluding ceremony of thetraining course was held in thelibrary hall of the BOBP-IGOSecretariat on 27 June 2008.Certificates were presented toparticipants.

Dr Yadava said the regional trainingcourse had been an enrichingexperience for the BOBP-IGO. Thegroup discussions, presentations,and course evaluation by theparticipants would help the BOBP-IGO fine-tune future courses. Theywould also help the IGO’s strategiesfor member-countries to adapt andimplement the Code.

Dr Yadava asked the trainees tocultivate relationships formedduring the course. They shouldcontinue to communicate with eachother and with the BOBP-IGO, sothat a fisheries network wasestablished in the region. Thetrainees thanked the BOBP-IGO andCIFE, Mumbai, for the excellentconduct of the course and the warmhospitality. They assured the IGOthat they would use the knowledgeacquired during the course topromote and strengthen the CCRFin their respective countries.

Participants visiting a fish landing site in Tamil Nadu, India.


The Regional Consultation onPreparation of aManagement Plan for Shark

Fisheries, held in Beruwala,Sri Lanka, on 24-26 March 2008,was an outcome of a suggestionmade at the second meeting of theBOBP-IGO’s Technical AdvisoryCommittee (Chennai, February2007) and endorsed at the thirdmeeting of the Governing Council(Malé, Maldives, May 2007).

Fifteen delegates from India,Maldives and Sri Lanka took part inthe consultation. Mr G Piyasena,Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries andAquatic Resources (MoFAR),Sri Lanka, chaired the consultation.

Welcoming the delegates, Dr YugrajSingh Yadava, Director of theBOBP-IGO, discussed the criticalstate of the global fishery. TheFAO’s report for 2006 showed thatglobal capture fish production hadreached a plateau, with most fishstocks being highly exploited. TheBay of Bengal (BoB) apparently isstill the least exploited, but thisphenomenon may reflectinsufficient reporting rather thanuntapped potential. It is disturbingthat small-sized fishes are beingexploited more and more. Result:lower catch per unit effort and lowfisher incomes.

Dr Yadava said that sharks havebeen an age-old fishery in India,Maldives as well as Sri Lanka, andshark landings are a source oflivelihoods for many. Every part ofshark has an economic value.However, shark stocks are nowunder threat; many species of sharksfigure in the IUCN Red List. It isessential that negative impacts onshark populations are addressedurgently and a management plan

formulated. He hoped that thepresent consultation would debatethe subject and enable a road mapfor management plan on sharkfisheries.

Mr Indra Ranasinghe, DirectorGeneral (Development), MoFAR,Sri Lanka, said that reliableinformation was needed for amanagement plan, which in turnwas needed to create awareness andeducation among stakeholders. Heurged co-operation among member-countries in management, alsoperiodic review and revision ofmanagement effort.

Mr Piyasena said that for centuries,artisanal fishers of Sri Lanka hadharvested sharks as a non-targetedfishery. In recent decades, moderntechnology and access to distantmarkets had increased shark fishingeffort and landings. The currentview was that directed shark catchesand certain multi-species fisheries inwhich shark catches constituted asignificant by-catch should be bettermanaged.

Mr Piyasena pointed out thatmember-countries of the BOBP-IGO, including Sri Lanka, were yetto develop a national plan of actionon the basis of the International Planof Action for Conservation andManagement of Sharks (IPOA-Sharks) formulated by the FAOwithin the framework of the Code ofConduct for Responsible Fisheries(CCRF). He hoped the presentconsultation, a timely initiative,would lead eventually to nationalplans for shark management.

Technical Session

Dr E Vivekanandan, PrincipalScientist, Central Marine FisheriesResearch Institute, Kochi, India,made the first presentation on the“Status of Shark Fishery in IndianExclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)”.He said that of the 47 species ofsharks that occur in the Indian seas,six species constitute a majorfishery. Some 15-20 000 fishersengage exclusively in shark fishing.Average annual shark landings(1985-2006) amounted to 36 021tonnes.


Management P lan fo r Sharks

Participants at the Regional Consultation.



He said that in the last few years,the fishery was shifting oceanwardfrom the coast. Trawls, gillnets andhooks and lines accounted for about95 percent of the shark landings.Potential yield of sharks in thecontinental shelf of the Indian EEZhad been estimated at 45 064tonnes, and that of pelagic sharksbeyond the continental shelf at26 200 tonnes.

Dr Vivekanadan said that slowgrowth and late maturation – typicalcharacteristics of the shark species –made them highly vulnerable tooverfishing. During 1998-2005, anannual average of 853.7 tonnes ofshark products valued at US $ 5.9

million were exported. Four speciesof sharks, Carcharhinus hemiodon,Glyphis gangeticus, G. glyphis andRhiniodon typus are protected bylaw. Measures were needed tosustain the stock of sharks withoutaffecting the livelihoods of fishers.

Ms Mariyam Saleem, ReefEcologist, Ministry of Fisheries,Agriculture and Marine Resources(MoFAMR), Government ofMaldives, said that the shark fisheryin her country grew after exportsbegan in the late 1970s, fuellingdemand for high-valued shark fins,salted shark meat and shark liver oilfrom gulper sharks. Three types ofshark fishery are carried out in the

Maldives – the reef shark fishery,oceanic shark fishery and the deepwater gulper shark fishery. Stocks,particularly of reef and oceanicshark fishery, have been depleted byheavy exploitation. Recovery of thestocks is not easy for species withthe biological attributes of sharks.

Ms Saleem said that severalconflicts had arisen over the yearsbetween shark fishermen on the onehand, and the tourism sector and thetuna fishing industry on the other.A 10-year moratorium had beenimposed in 1998 on shark fishinginside and within 12 miles from therim of seven atolls in the Maldives.This was meant to address theconflict between shark fishermenand the tourism sector. Additionally,to address conflicts between theshark and tuna fishermen, sharkfishing had been banned from twolocations in the south of Maldives,which are considered good fishingareas by tuna fishermen.

Ms Saleem said a 2003 surveyshowed that shark fishing wascarried out in 22 islands (the figurehas since fallen to 11) by 132fishing vessels and 528 fishermen in2003. Annual shark exports havefallen in value from MRf 15 to 20million in the 1990s to below MRf10 million now, said Ms Saleem.

Ms Saleem said that on the basis ofdiminishing stocks and FAO’s callfor shark protection, experts haverecommended a ban on export of allproducts from reef and oceanicsharks in the Maldives, after a graceperiod of two years. She highlightedmeasures to mitigate the impact ofsuch a ban on the livelihoods ofshark fishermen in the Maldives.

Dr Champa Amarasiri, Director,Research and Development,National Aquatic ResourcesResearch and Development Agency(NARA), Sri Lanka, made apresentation on shark fisheries inSri Lanka’s EEZ. She said thatduring the past two decades fishingactivities had got extended to theedge of the 200 mile EEZ and evenbeyond.

Gantt chart for proposed activities to support preparation of amanagement plan for shark fisheries.

Sl. Management 2008No. aspects May June July August September October

1.0 Preparation ofcomprehensive statuspaper on shark fisheries

2.0 Stakeholder consultation

3.0 Setting up the datacollection mechanism

4.0 Setting up of NationalTask Force

5.0 Setting up of a ‘SharkPortal/ Website’

6.0 Preparation of ‘awarenessmaterial’

7.0 Indigenous traditionalknowledge – documentationof a case study

The Regional Consultation in progress.


Shark capture in Sri Lanka is aboutfour or five decades old. A majorityof the shark catch is a by-catch fromtuna long line and gill net boats.Sharks are targeted directly by longline and deep water fisheries, butthis effort is rather insignificant,Dr Amarasiri said.

Shark catches have been decreasingrapidly during the past 10 yearsbecause of restrictions in fishingareas, also because more and morefishers are moving towards tunalongline fisheries. Catches comprisemainly silky sharks and another12 species.

Dr Amarasiri said that the estimatedtotal catch of sharks was 2 101tonnes in 2006 and the total numberof people engaged in this fisherywere around 15 000. There is nomanagement plan for shark fisheriesin Sri Lanka. However, the FisheriesAct and other environmentallyrelated legislations of Sri Lanka haveprovisions to conserve and manageshark fisheries in the country.

Following the country presentations,Dr Y S Yadava discussed an actionplan to formulate a managementplan for shark fisheries. He referredto the peculiar characteristics ofsharks – they are distributed incoastal waters and the deep seas;some stocks are migratory andshared among the three coastalstates; the stocks are exploited byboth targeted and non-targetedfishery; knowledge on theirtaxonomy, biology, breeding anddistribution is poor. A soundmonitoring and control mechanismfor shark in a given fishing area istherefore difficult.

Dr Yadava discussed the proposed‘Guidelines for Preparation ofManagement Plan for SharkFisheries’ that had been drawn up bythe Secretariat in accordance with theCCRF and the IPOA-Sharks. TheGuidelines include a “Framework fora Management Plan on Sharks,”which has four main heads relatingto information, institutionalarrangements, stakeholders, andfinance and funding.

On the basis of the framework for amanagement plan, an indicativediscussion map with six log-tableswas given to the delegates. The logtables were headed as follows:

• Log 1: Status of shark fishery inthe BoB (comprising knowledge offish stocks; of breeding behavior;of breeding grounds; of fishery andfishing effort; etc.)

• Log 2: Natural and anthropogenicimpacts (relating to existingquantitative and qualitative naturaland anthropogenic impacts;possible threats; suggestedremedial measures and agenciesthat could carry out thesemeasures; and anticipated cost ofthese measures).

• Log 3: Socio-economic analysis –institutional arrangements.

(relating to R & D institutions andtheir spheres of coverage; ongoingschemes; budgetary allocation;manpower involved in R & D;NGOs active in shark fisheriesmanagement programmes; fisherassociations; existing legislativeand policy support.)

• Log 4: Socio-economic analysis –awareness creation and training(comprising methods used andmaterials developed; extent andscope of awareness drive; feedbackon awareness drive; possible futureapproaches; budgetary allocationon awareness drive; the role ofNGOs; quality of extension andfield staff; training programmesorganized.)

• Log 5: Socio-economic analysis –livelihoods and trade (comprisingsuch points as the socio-economicstatus of shark fishers; the structureof the shark fisheries market, itsvolume and scope, price trends,ways to reduce fishing, alternativelivelihood options, etc.)

• Log 6: Economic analysis –funding requirements andprovisions (relating to possibleadditional funding needed to carryout activities; external fundingreceived so far; utilization rate ofexternal funding; areas whereadditional funding could be used.)

Delegates discussed issues for theircountry among themselves and

Review ofinformation

Review of institutionalarrangements

Review ofstakeholders

Shark stocksShark biology

BehaviourExploitation

Organisationsinvolved

Manpower devotedQuality ofmanpower

Level of awarenessAwareness

programmes

Natural impactsAnthropogenic

impactsNGOs involvementFisher Associations

involvement

Awarenessstrategies

Fishing effortTrade

Price trend Existing lawsand policies

Trainingprogrammes

Training strategies

Socio-economicsituation

Review of financeand funding

Budgetary supportfor research/

documentation

Budgetary support forawareness & training

programmes

Funding of remedialmeasures

External fundingrequirementsFunding areas

Funding sources

Framework for Management Plan on Sharks


pooled their knowledge to analyzethe shark fishery in terms of theinformation sought in the log tables.They identified gaps in informationand the future course of action.

Dr Vivekanandan presented the logtables for India. He emphasized theneed for more taxonomic work onthe sharks; revalidation of the sharkstocks with additional scientificinputs; data on species-wise effort;biological investigations covering alarger number of shark species,especially those inhabiting the deepseas; natural and anthropogenicimpacts on shark fisheries.

He said that India has 5-6 fishergroups that carry out targetedfishing for sharks. Awareness drivescould be first attempted for suchfocused groups with the help ofdedicated NGOs working in thearea. A task force on the pattern of‘Project Tiger’ may be considered tomanage shark fisheries. Indigenoustraditional knowledge could bedocumented.

Presenting the log tables forSri Lanka, Dr Amarasiri referred tothe dearth of data on oceanic sharks.As for reef-associated sharks andgulper sharks, systematic knowledgeon biology, breeding and relatedattributes is lacking. There is nosignificant targeted fishing forsharks in Sri Lanka, but non-targeted fishing, especially thatassociated with tuna long lining andgill netting, can be a problem forshark stocks. There are no on-goingresearch programmes on sharkfisheries per se, but they are coveredin a limited manner underinvestigations on ‘larger pelagics’carried out by NARA.

Mr Mohamed Shainee, AssistantDirector-General, MoFAMR,described the shark fishery in theMaldives as unique. At present, only11 islands in the country engage init. Information on shark fishing islimited and species-wise data islacking. Production figures arecomputed from exports – whichlabel sharks as a single group.Maldives had prepared a status

paper on shark fisheries in 2003,which was updated in 2006. Butfurther study is required on tradeaspects of shark fisheries.Awareness is important, so istraditional management knowledge.A website on shark fisheries couldbe useful for informationdissemination.

Constitution of TechnicalCommittee

The Regional Consultation agreedto constitute a Technical Committeein each country to initiate action onthe requirements identified at theConsultation.

Proposed Action Plan

On the basis of the deliberations, theConsultation agreed on thefollowing set of activities forimplementation. Support would beprovided by the BOBP-IGO as peran agreed action plan.

(i) A comprehensive status paperon shark fisheries resources,including a researchbibliography.

(ii) A stakeholder consultation onmanagement of shark fisheriesin each of the three countries.The Consultation will alsodiscuss and identify alternativelivelihoods.

(iii) Setting up of a data collection,collation and compilationmechanism on shark fisheries,especially species-wise data,

which would aid in thesuccessful implementation ofthe management plan.

(iv) Setting up of a ‘National TaskForce’ on shark fisheriesmanagement.

(v) Setting up of a shark portal orwebsite for the Bay of Bengalregion.

(vi) Documentation of indigenoustraditional knowledge formanagement of shark fisheries.

(vi) Preparation of awarenessmaterials on conservation andsustainable exploitation ofshark fisheries.

To carry out these activities in asystematic time frame, a Gantt chartcovering the period May - October,2008 was agreed to by the RegionalConsultation (see page 48). It wasalso decided that the next meetingwould be held in the Maldivesduring the last quarter of 2008,subject to the approval of theGovernment of Maldives.

In conclusion, Mr Piyasena said theConsultation had enabled a goodopportunity to initiate preparation ofa management plan for sharks. Hethanked the BOBP-IGO Secretariatand the delegates, also Maldives foragreeing to host the next meeting.


A Regional Consultation onSafety at Sea for Small-ScaleFisheries

A Regional Consultation will beheld in Chennai in July, 2008 toreview the progress of work underthe FAO Global Project on “Safetyat Sea for Small-scale Fisheries”.The Regional Consultation willreport on the progress of projectactivities in south Asia, shareinformation on global initiatives,discuss the status of safety at sea inBOBP-IGO member-countries andpresent draft technical safetyguidelines for fishing vessels under24 m in length.

A Bi-national (India and Sri Lanka)Workshop on Safety at Sea will beorganized for India and Sri Lankaalong with the RegionalConsultation in Chennai, India.Participants will include fisheriesofficials, boatbuilders,representatives of national agenciesconcerned with fisheries trainingand education and with fishingvessel regulations, plusrepresentatives from the FAO, theIMO, NIOSH (the National Institutefor Occupational Safety and Health,USA) and the BOBP-IGO.

The idea of the IMO Project is tointroduce sound constructionguidelines for small fishing vessels inIndia and Sri Lanka, following theDecember 2004 tsunami whichsparked a boom in construction offishing vessels – many of which wereof low standard and built hurriedly inmakeshift boatyards by people withlittle experience in FRP boatconstruction. The workshop is beingorganised by the BOBP-IGO inassociation with FAO and IMO.

APFIC RegionalConsultative Forum Meeting(6-9 August 2008)

The Asia Pacific FisheryCommission (APFIC) will organizethe second Regional ConsultativeForum Meeting (RCFM) from 6 to10 August 2008 in Manado, NorthSulawesi, Indonesia. The RCFMwill provide a forum to synthesize,analyze and agree on actions neededto “Adapt to emerging challenges –promoting effective arrangementsfor managing fisheries andaquaculture in the Asia-PacificRegion”. More specifically, theRCFM will review policyrecommendations and action plansto address two key issues identifiedby APFIC: (a) certification offisheries and aquaculture, and(b) fisheries overcapacity and IUUfishing. The RCFM will alsoexplore two new key areas for futurework – the ecosystem approach tothe implementation of the Code ofConduct for Responsible Fisheries(CCRF) and market linkages, tradeand finance – reducing vulnerabilityand strengthening livelihoods.

Thirtieth Session of the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission(11-13 August, 2009)

The Thirtieth Session of APFIC willbe held in Manado, Indonesia from11-13 August 2008. The session isbeing convened under the provisionof Article XIV of the FAOconstitution and will discuss a rangeof topics such as (i) status andpotential of fisheries andaquaculture in Asia-Pacific;(ii) APFIC’s strategy and promotionof regional initiatives for more

effective fisheries management;(iii) regional themes such ascertification in fisheries andaquaculture, capacity management,combating IUU fishing, emergingissues in fisheries, andimplementation of the CCRF.

National Workshop onMonitoring, Control andSurveillance

A National Workshop on MCSwill be held in Chennai on 1-2December, 2008. The workshop willbe organized jointly by theGovernment of India and theBOBP-IGO. It is a sequel to aRegional Workshop on MCS held inChittagong, Bangladesh, in January2008, which recommended thatmember-countries formulate actionplans for successful implementationof MCS and for strengtheningnational agencies responsible forMCS. Accordingly, the workshopwill review and analyse marinefisheries management programmesin India as well as procedures forlicensing and registration of fishingvessels. It will assess the capacityfor MCS, identify institutionalrequirements and prepare aplan of action.

Expert Consultation on“Best Practices for Safety atSea in Fisheries”

An Expert Consultation will be heldat the FAO headquarters in Romefrom 10 to 13 December, 2008. It isbeing organized by the FAO inco-operation with the BOBP-IGO.Participants will be fishers, expertson fishing vessel safety, andresource persons from member-countries of the FAO. Theconsultation is expected to producea draft outline for guidelines on bestpractices for safety at sea infisheries, plus recommendations onthe special needs of developingcountries. The guidelines have to beapproved by the FAO Committee onFisheries at its next meeting in early2009. The draft outline will alsoidentify the next steps after theConsultation.

Upcoming Programmes


Bay of Bengal News is a quarterly publication of the Bay of BengalProgramme Inter-Governmental Organisat ion(BOBP-IGO). TheBOBP-IGO is a regional fisheries body, which presently covers fourcountries around the Bay of Bengal – Bangladesh, India, Maldives andSri Lanka. The BOBP-IGO plays a catalytic and consultative role indeveloping coastal fisheries management in the Bay of Bengal to helpimprove the conditions of small-scale fisherfolk in the member-countries.

Edited and published by Y S Yadava for the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation, 91 St. Mary’s Road, Abhiramapuram, Chennai 600 018, India.Tel: 91-44-24936294, 24936188; Fax: 91-44-24936102; E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.bobpigo.orgLayout: S Jayaraj. Printed at Nagaraj & Co.Pvt. Ltd., Chennai - 600 041, India. Tel: 91-44-66149291, 66149292

Calendar on Safety at SeaWhat are fishers up against when they venture out tosea? They dream of a jackpot harvest but may experiencea nightmare – injury, permanent disability, physical,mental and emotional trauma, death. But they canprevent or minimize disaster by following the rightprecautions.

BOBP-IGO’s 2008 calendar offers a slew of straight-forward messages for fishers everywhere. Plan yourfishing trip. Carry your first-aid kit. Use navigationequipment and spares. Learn to signal that you are introuble. Use protective gear. Conserve fresh water. Keepa lifebuoy. Make sure of course that the fishing boat issafe, has been built right. One useful non-fisheries tip,particularly aimed at migratory fishing communities:Use condoms!

The charm of the calendar lies in the illustrations:suggestive sketches rather than photographs, which showoutlines of face and figure, and a breezy zig-zag line toindicate a wave. Says BOBP-IGO artist S Jayaraj, whoreceived queries from even professional artists about histechnique: “I did a line drawing of every situation, thenused Photoshop to fill in with colour – as many as 256colours of different tones and gradations.”

“Useful calendar and very charming” was one reaction tothe calendar – it is being distributed to fishers of theregion at workshops and community meetings.

Research preceded the calendar, so did trial-and-errorwith various sketch options. Ask for the calendar if youdon’t have it – we have a few copies left.

Promot ing Safe ty a t Sea

mcs in small-scale fisheriesbobpigo.org/html_site/bbn/march-june08/march-june2008-pages1-52.pdf ·...

Documents