Sector-wide overview: aquaculture leads, but capture fisheries face mounting challenges

In June 2016, analytics and governance commentators looked across the entire fisheries sector and reiterated the
dominant role of aquaculture growth, contrasted with stagnating capture production and persistent regulatory
gaps. For example, one governance review concluded that from 2000 to 2016 aquaculture production in
Bangladesh rose substantially, surpassing open-water capture production in recent years.
Key take-aways:
 Aquaculture is now firmly the growth engine of the national fisheries sector and offers opportunities for
exports, livelihoods and rural development.
 Capture fisheries (in rivers, estuaries, coastal/marine areas) face declining productivity, environmental
stressors and weaker regulation.
 The Government is increasingly under pressure to improve legal frameworks, enforcement capacity, bio-
security, and value-chain logistics.
This month served as a consolidating moment: the direction is clear (culture-based growth), but foundational
reforms around governance, infrastructure, quality and traceability need acceleration.