The event, held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, was part of FAO Pesticide Risk Reduction in Bangladesh Project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The workshop aimed to align Bangladesh’s pesticide management policies with European Union (EU) standards and national regulations, ensuring that fisheries products meet international safety requirements.

Strengthening Food Safety and Export Standards

Bangladesh has established itself as the third-largest producer of farmed fish globally, exporting to over 50 countries, including the EU, the US, and Japan. However, the country faces growing challenges due to chemical contamination and pesticide residues in seafood. Addressing these concerns is crucial for maintaining export credibility and consumer trust.

FAO Bangladesh’s Deputy Representative, Dia Sanou, emphasized the significance of updating regulations, stating that revised guidelines would help maintain quality assurance in fisheries, protect public health, and strengthen Bangladesh’s position in global seafood markets.

Meanwhile, Shahina Ferdousi, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries & Livestock (MOFL), acknowledged the FAO’s collaboration with the Department of Fisheries (DoF) in training officials, improving dried fish processing, and monitoring pesticide residues to enhance seafood safety.

A Collaborative Effort for Sustainable Growth

The revised NRCP and PRMP guidelines were developed through comprehensive consultations, including focus group discussions (FGDs) in Khulna, Gazipur, and Dhaka. These updates aim to:

• Reduce pesticide risks in fisheries and aquaculture
• Ensure food safety compliance for both local and international markets
• Improve fish drying and processing methods
• Strengthen Bangladesh’s export potential

The workshop underscored FAO’s ongoing commitment to sustainable and responsible fishery practices, reinforcing the “Four Betters” approach:

1️⃣ Better Production – Implementing improved aquaculture and processing methods
2️⃣ Better Nutrition – Ensuring seafood safety and quality
3️⃣ Better Environment – Minimizing chemical contamination
4️⃣ Better Life – Supporting the fisheries industry for economic growth

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The data indicates that worldwide output from both aquaculture and fisheries achieved a record-breaking milestone in 2022, reaching 223.3 million metric tonnes of animals and plants. Out of the total, 185.4 million metric tonnes consisted of aquatic organisms, whereas 37.8 million metric tonnes were comprised of algae.

The wild capture of aquatic animals has decreased from 91.6 million tonnes in 2021 to 91 million tonnes in the subsequent year. On the other hand, aquaculture’s output increased to 94.4 million in 2022, compared to 91.1 million in the previous year.

According to the report, Aquaculture accounted for 51% of aquatic animal output in 2022. Among the continents, Asia represented over 90% of the worldwide aquaculture production of aquatic animals. However, approximately 90% of marine animals raised or caught are used for human food, while the remaining portion is allocated for purposes such as animal feed or fish oils.

According to experts, it is not unexpected that more fish are raised nowadays than wild-caught. During the last 30 years, wild catch from the seas has not risen much due to many factors, including, but not limited to, overfishing, climate change, and other natural restrictions.

However, seafood consumption has increased twice as rapidly as the global population’s annual growth rate since 1961. Hence, the expansion of aquaculture was highly likely to meet growing worldwide demand for seafood.

The United Nations agency anticipates that global aquaculture production will increase to 111 million tonnes by 2032. At the same time, the quantity of fish captured will increase more gradually, reaching 94 million tonnes during the same period.

According to Manuel Barange, the director of the FAO’s fisheries and aquaculture division, “Aquaculture has seen advantages due to the growing praise of the health benefits, such as Omega 3 and other micronutrients, present in food from aquatic animals, as well as its comparatively minimized environmental effect compared to food obtained from land animals.”

“The additional supply would be essential to provide an expanding global populace with enough protein and guarantee food security,” he added.

Nevertheless, the rise of aquaculture emphasizes the necessity of reshaping marine systems to reduce their environmental impact.

Many experts believe that the fast-growing aquaculture industry might be detrimental to food security in less developed countries due to the haphazard use of pesticides and antibiotics. 

Furthermore, they assert that the overuse of antibiotics to treat disease in farmed fish is contributing to the rise of drug-resistant pathogens. Additionally, the waste from the aquaculture farms might pollute and harm the nearby aquatic environment.

Nevertheless, fish aquaculture companies are currently in the process of developing more sophisticated systems in order to meet the growing international demand and mitigate any adverse effects. The FAO suggests that sustainable seafood production must be transformed, adapted, and expanded to meet the increasing demand and enhance food security in order to feed the world’s expanding population.

Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Department of Oceanography, NSTU

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According to the study “The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture” released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Bangladesh has surpassed China to become the second-largest producer of freshwater fish in the world.

The report used data from 2022, which is released every two years. The ranking is determined by the quantity of fish caught from natural bodies of water, such as rivers, lakes, and wetlands. 

The study states that in numerous countries, notably large aquaculture producers such as China, India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, aquaculture production has consistently exceeded capture fisheries for a couple of years.

Countries with significant waterbodies or river basins tend to have a higher concentration of production from inland fishing. India, China, Bangladesh, and Myanmar are the leading producers of inland fish in Asia, collectively contributing to around 66% of the worldwide inland fisheries production.

China lost its position as the leading producer of inland water since 2020. In 2022, India and Bangladesh exceeded it in terms of catches, with 1.9 million tonnes and 1.3 million tonnes, respectively. Nevertheless, Bangladesh’s ranking in fish harvested from ponds and confined waterbodies has declined from third to fifth position.

In 2023, Bangladesh’s fish production reached a grand total of 4.8 million tonnes. This consisted of 3.2 million tonnes from fish aquaculture and 1.3 million tonnes from open water bodies. In 2023, the entire production of hilsa fish from open water bodies amounted to 0.65 million tonnes, which accounted for half of the fish caught.

The condition of inland capture fisheries and its impact on food security, livelihoods, and economies are fundamentally reliant on inland aquatic habitats. Due to Bangladesh’s conservation efforts and the prohibition of fishing during the mating season, fish production has significantly grown, thanks to the country’s abundant aquatic resources.

In addition, Bangladeshi scientists have successfully devised artificial breeding and sophisticated farming methods for 40 of the 261 fish species that inhabit the open waterbodies of the country. These techniques are facilitating the growth of fish output in ponds, lakes, and rivers.

Nevertheless, the government has established more ambitious objectives to achieve a fish production of 6.5 million tons by 2030 and 8.5 million tonnes by 2041.

Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Department of Oceanography, NSTU

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