What is the impact of IUU Fishing?

1.     Environmental Impact:

Globally, IUU fishing poses a threat to sustainable fisheries and ocean ecosystems. It endangers the natural resources essential to ensuring the world’s food security, and disadvantages law-abiding fishermen and seafood producers both here and abroad. Increased pressure on fish species that are endangered can also result from IUU fishing. By increasing the quantity of fish captured, IUU fishing has a direct impact on the population of fish species.

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing depletes fish stock, destroyed management and conservation efforts. Achieving the objectives of long-term sustainability and responsibility is hampered by IUU fishing, which undercuts national and regional efforts to conserve and manage fish stocks.

2.     Economic Impact:

IUU fishing jeopardizes the economic stability. Additionally, the livelihoods of the most vulnerable populations around the world are also in danger. It severely hinders and discriminates against those fishermen who behave honorably, responsibly, and in accordance with the restrictions outlined in their fishing licenses.

The fish which are unauthorized and illegal, entry into the market may reduce the total quality and cost of the items on offer. That placing a financial strain on harvesters who abide by the laws and regulations.

What are the IUU fishing activities?

1.     Illegal fishing activities:

Whether national or foreign, the operations are carried out without authorization from the state in dispute or in violation of its laws and regulations in waters under its control.

• Transshipping illegally (for instance, by transferring fish to cargo ships).

2.     Unreported fishing activities:

Those fishing operations that violate national rules and regulations and that have not been reported to the appropriate national authority, or have been reported incorrectly.

• Fishing for specific species without a permit or quota.
• Omitting to disclose catches or reporting them incorrectly.
• Keeping fish that are too little or those are otherwise governed by laws.
• Fishing with forbidden equipment and in restricted locations or during restricted seasons.

3.     Unregulated fishing activities:

Fishing in regions or for fish stocks where there are no relevant conservation or management measures, and where such fishing activities are carried out in a way that conflicts with State obligations under international law for the conservation of live marine resources.

What are the approaches to combat IUU fishing?

A significant strategy for attaining sustainable management of the world’s fisheries is to combat IUU fishing. Tackling IUU fishing is currently a high priority for international ocean governance. This strategy is strengthened by a wide range of additional actions.

1.     Marine Stewardship Council:

An international non-profit organization called the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) manages a certification and ecolabelling (Blue MSC ecolabel) program for sustainable, traceable seafood.

A fishery must adhere to three principles in order to be certified as sustainable:

• Ensuring robust fisheries
• Least amount of damage to the marine ecosystem
• Effective management and obligation of local, state, and federal regulations

2.     Scheme for Responsible Fishing

The sole international standard that examines adherence to compliance aboard fishing vessels, including moral and welfare standards, is the Responsible Fishing Scheme. Originally introduced in 2006 by Seafish, a new program was later introduced in January 2016 in compliance with the standards of the widely accepted worldwide standard ISO17065. Its services are designed to help the industry’s environmental sustainability, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness while also promoting seafood that is responsibly obtained.

3.     Law Enforcement:

IUU fishing are fundamentally the result of inadequate national and international law enforcement. However, there are several causes for enforcement failure, chief among them being weak national government. A nation has complete control over its ports. In general, a nation should:

• Forbid foreign vessels from landing or transshipping fish in its ports
• Demand information on the identities of vessels
• Seek port access
• Examine vessels that are voluntarily in its ports.
• Ask for fair advance notice of their entry into port

4.     Responsibility of Flag State:

The ships (including fishing vessels) that carry a state’s flag are subject to that state’s legal obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The principal duty of flag countries is to regulate the fishing operations of their ships, including both fishing vessels and fishing support vessels (such as transport vessels that transport the catch of fishing vessels and supply vessels that deliver fuel and supplies to fishing vessels).

5.     Approaches of international Organizations:

The European Union created its own strategy to carry out the pledges made at the international level, and the European Commission’s action plan for combating IUU fishing was released in May 2002. It will be demanded that member state nationals operating under a flag of convenience shoulder more accountability. Additionally, market restrictions would be put in place for fisheries products that were caught in breach of international accords. To increase awareness, information campaigns aimed at the fishing industry, customers, and the general public will also be launched. Additionally, IUU vessels would be recognized, watched over, and their catches would be measured. The required tools would be supplied in collaboration with developing nations to enable them to properly regulate fishing activities carried out in their territorial waters.

Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) are associations of countries that concentrate on specific fish species (such as the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna) or have a broader mandate related to living marine resources generally within a region, such as the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).

IUU fishing threatens marine biodiversity, the food security of communities that depend on fisheries resources for protein, and the livelihoods of those working in the industry if vulnerable stocks that are subject to strict management controls or moratoria are targeted.

Farhana Islam
Agriculturist, Researcher
Fisheries Resource Management, CVASU

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The aim of prohibiting fishing during the primary reproductive season of marine fish is to boost fish stocks by ensuring undisturbed breeding. Government officials have claimed that fish production has increased significantly due to the ban. However, the fish production data support the government officials’ claim.

For example, just 2,90,000 tonnes of hilsa were produced in the nation during the 2007–2008 fiscal year. In 2018–19, it rose to 5,17,000 tonnes, and in 2019–20, it climbed to 5,33,000 tonnes. In other words, over the past 11 years, the nation’s hilsa output has climbed by around 84%. Only three years ago, Bangladesh accounted for 65% of the world’s total hilsa catches. Since the previous year, the percentage has increased to 85%.

Despite this extraordinary achievement, traders and fishers of the fishing community have voiced their outrage at the year-round fishing ban. Because the decision is a devastating blow for fishery communities, the majority of whom rely on fisheries for their daily sustenance. Even though the government promises to provide affected fishermen with monthly rations, the fishermen are expressing their dissatisfaction and the difficulties that they will face over the next two months.

The lengthy ban, however, worried some of the country’s fishermen in Kuakata, Cox’s Bazar, and other fishing zones. After suffering a week of inactivity due to Cyclone Mocha, they claimed that the ban would exacerbate their financial condition.

Fishermen claimed that they experience 147 days of bans annually, at various times. Mother Hilsa Conservation was prohibited for 22 days in October. Hilsa Sanctuary was prohibited for 60 days in March-April. And the most recent ban was from May 20 to July 23 of 2023.

Moreover, many fishermen have reported illegal intrusion of fishermen from neighboring countries during the ban period.

“During the blockade on Bangladeshi marine waters, fishermen from neighboring countries enter and breach our marine borders without any barriers and steal our fishing wealth,” said Rahman Majhi, a member of the Alipur fishing community in the Kalapara upazila.

He demanded that the government should take prompt steps to stop this illegal fishing activity.

Nur Islam Majhi from Chittagong stated, “There will always be those who cross borders in hopes of finding more fish in the sea.” As the captain of an artisanal gill netter, he possesses over twenty years of fishing expertise and has encountered numerous foreign vessels south of the Bangladeshi port of Mongla.

Anwar Hossain Sikder, a member secretary of the Bangladesh Fishing Boat Owners Association (BFBOA), stated that the 200-nautical-mile fishing ban only benefits Indian and Myanmar fishermen and traders.

However, the statistics support their complaints too.

In the past years, the Bangladeshi coast guard detained over 519 Indian fishermen and impounded 32 vessels off the coast of Patuakhali, which is more than 125 kilometers within Bangladesh’s EEZ.

Moreover, about 1,000 Indian fishermen were imprisoned for months before being released in recent years, according to Bangladesh coast guard statistics. During the prohibition period, this number increases significantly.

Additionally, this ban has worsened the situation of poor fishermen, particularly day laborers.

Fazlu Gazi, president of the Mahipur Fish Storage Cooperative Society, stated, “We have demanded this ban to be reevaluated from the very outset. What will the fishermen eat if they are unable to catch fish in the ocean?”

According to the BFBOA, a large number of small-scale fishermen are day laborers whose families will starve if the government does not provide compensation.

However, the government has taken exemplary measures for disadvantaged fishermen. During the 65-day fishing ban in the Bay, the government distributed 16,752 metric tons of rice through the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) program to support the families of 2,991,135 listed fishermen in 67 upazilas of 14 districts and Chattogram city. This VGF crop was allocated by the Department of Fisheries and Livestock.

This year, 3,111,062 fishing community members from 14 coastal districts have been registered for government assistance. During the ban period, a fishing community member will receive a total of 86 kilograms of rice.

Out of the 14 districts, local fisheries officials reported that over 49,000 members of the fishing community had been documented in the Patuakhali region and 27, 277 in the Barguna area.

But some fishermen, have also expressed objection to this approach as well.

Golam Mostafa Chowdhury, head of the Fishermen’s Trawler Owners’ Association, estimated that 1,50,000 people lived near the Barguna coast and worked as fishermen, but only 27, 277 persons were on the government’s list.

Senior upazila fisheries official Apu Saha of Patuakhali’s Kalapara upazila stated that the higher authorities will be informed of the demands of the local fishermen.

It also needs to be realized that these poor families, whose only source of income is the sea, have no additional sources of support. And when their fishing rights are revoked, they are left in a state of absolute helplessness. 

Although the government provides aid to fishermen, due to poor management, the majority of fisherman’s families are unable to get it. The fishermen additionally voiced their reluctance to accept rationed rice as they believe it is unjustifiable for the government to take away their sole source of income.

Even though many experts believe the “ban” is a wise decision but efforts should be made to provide alternative employment opportunities for affected fishermen.

Therefore, the government must provide alternative sources of income for fishermen so they can support their families even though they cannot catch fish.

In addition, to prevent intrusion by Indian fishermen, the duration of the prohibition must be determined by correlating it to that of neighboring nations.

In addition, plenty of fishermen fail to get relief because fake fishermen were issued identification cards. Therefore, only actual fishermen must be issued with fishing cards.

Some specialists believe that vocational education programs for children can provide alternative income and employment opportunities for fishermen.

However, for protecting community rights as well as conserving the fisheries resource the government must act quickly to solve the burning problems.

Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Department of Oceanography, NSTU

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The Labour Ministry issued a gazette notice on November 28 announcing the salary structure suggested by the minimum wage board. Previously, the sector’s minimum wage board finished its proposal suggesting Tk10,520 as the minimum salary. On June 14, 2022, it sent its recommendation to the Labour Ministry.

Approximately 215 commercial fishing trawlers and 49 ice trawlers with wooden bodies fish at depths greater than 40 meters. In addition to these larger trawlers, around 65,000 small mechanized and non-mechanized artisanal boats engage in shallow-water fishing. About 5,000 trained workers are catching marine fish in Bangladesh.

In the newly announced pay structure, the ministry has included seven categories for fishing trawler industrial sector workers. The gross monthly minimum wage has been set for grade seven, Six, four, three, two, and one is Tk 10,520, 13,600, 19,200, 23,120, 24,800, and 26,340, respectively.
Of the total, TK 10,520 allowed for grade seven includes Tk6,800 as basic pay, 40% of the basic pay (Tk2,720) as house rent and Tk1,000 as medical allowance. And for grade six, Tk13,600 includes Tk9,000 as basic pay, while for grade five, Tk16,050 includes Tk10,750 as basic pay.

Previously the employees reported receiving a lower income than the government-declared gazette and added that the company does not pay according to the government scale. Furthermore, there is no yearly increment for this position. The salary is modest relative to the cost of living, food, and other necessities.
Moreover, workers on industrial trawlers lack a service book and appointment card, and there is no formal agreement between the workers and the company. At the moment of hiring, an application containing the date and other details is the most important document to organizations for employee data. The workers stated, “We cannot show that we are a member of this trawler’s crew, and the company has the right to terminate my employment at any moment.”

A recent survey by Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) and BILS showed that Two out of three workers lacked appointment letters. 72% of employees did not get payslips, and those who get them did not have a record of their working hours. Approximately 75% of manufacturing workers tended to work extra hours. 49% of workers said that they did not get personal protective equipment. According to 63% of workers, women do not receive equal compensation for equal effort. In addition, they are required to remain on the shoreline for a total of 87 days every year — from May 20 to July 23 and from October 1 to October 22 — due to a government-imposed prohibition on deep-sea fishing in order to boost reproduction.

Md. Shakil Akhter Chowdhury, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Labour Federation, stated that fish workers account for 12 per cent of our overall employment and around two crore people depend on this occupation for a living. The fishing industry contributes 3.5% to our GDP; therefore, we can no longer ignore it.

According to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, the total catch from marine finishing increased 1.51 per cent annually to 6.81 million tonnes in the fiscal year 2020-21, up from 671,104 tonnes in the previous fiscal year. In the fiscal year 2020-21, marine fishing accounted for around 14.74 per cent of the nation’s total fish output of 4,621,228 tonnes.

Experts believe the salary increase will have a good effect and enhance the status of trawler workers. And over time, this wage boost will contribute to the formalization of the fishing industry.

Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Dept. of Fisheries and Marine Science, NSTU

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According to the stakeholders, people in Chattogram, Feni, Comilla, Brahamanbaria, Dhaka, Sylhet, Kishorganj, Sayedpur, Rangpur and Munshiganj districts are the main consumers of dry fish in the country. Khulna and Rajshahi have less consumers of dry fish.

Asadganj in Chittagong, country’s largest wholesale market. There are 50 warehouses, 250 wholesale merchants, 50 retails merchants and 10 exporters. In total, 3,000 permanent people are constantly engaged in the trade of dry fish here.

A businessman from Asadganj, Dipul Kanti said, “dry fish consumption is getting popular among locals and its even now popular in the Europe, US and across the Middle East.”

He also added, fishermen these days do not use any harmful  chemicals as preservatives because the number of cold storage have increased. So, dry fish makers are getting fresh fish for them.

The Department of Fisheries in Cox’s Bazar says it has adopted new and hygienic methods of drying and preserving fish, thereby contributing to its growing popularity in local and abroad.

Cox’s Bazar district fisheries officer said,  “If fishermen preserve dry fish by adopting the new methods and without using harmful chemicals, the taste of fish would remain intact. This is making dry fish more popular among all classes of people”.

“After removing fish intestines, fishermen are now mixing turmeric and pepper. It is very organic, hygienic and keeps the quality of dry fish unchanged. Moreover, these natural preservatives keep insects away. We keep a close eye on the whole process to ensure that no harmful chemical is added,” he said.

According to the Asadgonj Dry Fish Merchant Association (ADFMA), local production is unable to meet the growing domestic and international demand for dry fish. To fill the gap, dry fish is being imported from India, Myanmar and Pakistan. About 60% of the demand is being fulfilled from imports, while only 40% is met by local production.

There are 30 to 35 varieties of dried fish in the market. The most popular are Chinese pomfret (Rupchanda), Indian salmon (Lakkha), Ribbon fish (Chhuri), Bombay duck (Loitta) and shrimp. At the same time, to meet the local demand, Bangladesh has to import Ribbon fish, Bombay duck, Pabda, and Corica (Kachki) from India; Chinese pomfret and ribbon fish from Pakistan; and Corica and Ribbon fish from Myanmar. Of the imported dried fish, which accounts for 60% of the supplies, 70% comes from India, while 30 per cent is from Pakistan and Myanmar.

Now, the best quality dried fish are being exported to the UK, the US, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE because of its high demand among Bangladeshi expatriates in those countries. For exporting dry fish, about 100 large and small dry fish export processing units have been set up in fish-processing areas, particularly the coastal areas and islands like Rangabali, Sonadia, Kutubdia, Talpatti, St Martin’s, Teknaf, Banshkhali, Anwara, Moheshkhali and Cox’s Bazar.

$7 million worth of dry fish has been exported in the fiscal year of 2021-2022.

EPB (Export Promotion Bureau)

Businessmen, however, expressed their concern over the future prospect of the dry fish business. The county’s dry fish production is falling and fishermen are changing their profession due to the long ban on fishing imposed to help proper spawning.

“The government said this ban was for spawning. But fishermen led a miserable hand-to-mouth existence during that period,” said Jamal Hossain, a dry fish sector stakeholder.

“Pollution and climate change are contaminating the sea water. Consequently, the
production of fish is falling,” he added.

He also said that foreign vessels discharged wastes at sea within Bangladesh territory owing to lax vigilance. Moreover, fishing trawlers of neighboring countries enter Bangladesh’s territorial waters to catch fish, he noted.

“Fish production would increase if the government prevented these two things and there
would be no need to import. Moreover, we will be able to export more dry fish,” he said.

He also blamed the process of catching shrimp fries for the destruction of thousands of fish. He said that in order to collect shrimp fries, the collectors are killing million fries of different species. This practice should be banned in the coastal areas.

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Seaweed is abundant in coastal areas. Wild seaweed production decreased due to excessive harvesting and unpredictable weather in the past years.  This is why globally cultivated seaweed production is on the rise. And it has grown to a significant proportion that the number is around 50% by the last decade.
The Rising popularity of seaweed consumption indicates this industry has a huge market in the global arena which is currently estimated to be 10 to 12 million tones (frozen weight) annually.

Considering the rising popularity of seaweed, the cultivation of this sea plant is expected to continue to grow, indicating it could become important in stabilising food security. The global commercial seaweed market has been forecasted by the experts to increase to $24.92 billion in 2028 from its 2021 value of $15.01 billion.

Seaweed in Bangladesh:

Experimental cultivation of two species of seaweed first began at Saint Martin’s Island in 2010. Since 2016, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) has been cultivating seaweed in the coastal areas of Cox’s Bazar.

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This East European conflict has a major impact on shrimp exports, both directly and indirectly. Since it has started, shrimp exports to East Europe have hit the rock bottom. The effects of this conflict are having a negative impact on the economy of Europe as a whole.

Due to the complications caused by the crisis and the fear of economic recession, other European countries have also reduced their purchase orders for shrimp and are not willing to pay the same price as before. And this has directly affected the country’s shrimp industry. Exporters, shrimp farmers to all workers are passing the time fearing the unknown.

Bangladesh exported 731 tons of shrimp to Russia last fiscal year. According to the information from Khulna Fisheries Inspection and Quality Control Office (FIQC), it has come down to only 240 tons this year.
On the other hand, exports to Ukraine in FY21 were 119 tones which is down by 78%.

In this context, Mr. Humayun Kabir, Vice President of Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA) said,
“Due to the war, the export of shrimp to Russia and Ukraine is suspended. The pandemic and the war have had a huge impact on the export of shrimp.
No one in the industry is better off. Many farmers lost their capital and changed occupations for livelihood. Many farmers are turning to white fish farming instead of shrimp.”

Mr. Golam Kibria Ripon is the General Secretary of Khulna Divisional Prawn Breeders Association. He said that the shrimp farmers are facing extreme problems due to the Russia-Ukraine war after the closure of Covid. At this time, shrimp production also decreased for many reasons.

Mr. Ripon himself is an award winning shrimp farmer of Paikgacha Upazila.

Mr. Md. Abu Saeed, Deputy Director of Khulna FIQC, admitted that shrimp export has decreased.
He also added that, the Department of Fisheries is monitoring the overall situation and taking steps to increase the export earnings. We are also working to ensure that exporters are not affected”.

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Scientists have developed a novel biodegradable battery made from seafood waste, which they claim is a viable option for storing power generated by large-scale wind and solar sources.

A team from the University of Maryland in the US discovered that chitosan, a derivative of the product chitin, could be used to make the electrolyte for a zinc battery. This material can be found in everything from fungi to squids, but the exoskeleton of crustaceans is the most abundant source and is easily obtained from crab shell.

Since chitosan is used as the electrolyte, microbes can break down roughly two-thirds of the battery in a matter of months. The zinc battery is also a less expensive and more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries, which are currently used in everything from smartphones to electric vehicles.

According to the researchers, the new zinc and chitosan battery has an energy efficiency of 99.7% after 1,000 charge cycles, making it a viable commercial option.

Though its very early to make any statement on it, but dear readers; can we be optimistic on “seafood waste” around the globe?

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The Global Shrimp Forum will take place 6 to 8 September, 2022, in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and appears to be “the warm-water shrimp industry’s first dedicated annual conference and business meeting, aiming to drive the shrimp industry towards a resilient and sustainable future.”

The Global Shrimp Forum Foundation in their press release stated that “Global trade of farmed shrimp will continue to expand, connecting the producing countries with consumers in many markets around the globe. But this $20 billion per year industry doesn’t have its own meeting place where
all different businesses and stakeholders can connect,”.

They also added, “The Global Shrimp Forum will feature production and market outlooks; innovation and technologies that transform shrimp production, supply chains, and markets; legal and regulatory challenges; new and upcoming producers and niche products; and finance and investment. But first and
foremost, the Global Shrimp Forum will become the largest unique top-executive meeting place for the shrimp industry, bringing together more than 400 leading players across the entire supply chain.”

The Global Shrimp Forum will be organized by a non-profit foundation set up by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), Shrimp Insights, and Contango. Johan Brouwer, a former Mowi and Seafood Connection executive and currently a business development lead at Veramaris, is also involved in the event as a Global Shrimp Forum Foundation board member. Shrimp Insights Owner and Founder Willem van der Pijl has been named the managing director of the Global Shrimp Forum and will also serve as a board member.

It is expected that there will be representatives from Bangladesh in the presenter and panel list.
Mr. Khondokar Mahbubul Haque, honorable Director General Department of Fisheries will be one of the presenter and Mr. Shymal Das, Managing director of MU Seafoods Ltd is in the Panel list.

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In a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Labor and Employment, the new minimum wage board was established, marking the first revision since 2015. Earlier this year, representatives from both industry owners and workers were appointed to review the minimum wages in the shrimp industry.

The ministry then invited written objections or recommendations within 14 days of publishing the notification, seeking input from stakeholders.

The government has categorized workers and employees in the shrimp industry into six and four grades, respectively. As per the gazette, workers in grade six will now receive a minimum monthly wage of Tk 6,700, with Tk 4,200 designated as the basic pay. This represents a significant increase of about 51 percent compared to the previous wage board. Additionally, the housing allowance makes up 35 percent, or Tk 1,470, of the total salary.

In 2015, the minimum monthly wage for grade-six workers was set at Tk 4,419, with Tk 2,940 as the basic pay.

The gazette also outlines an annual increment of 5 percent of the basic pay, with an additional cumulative increase of 5 percent scheduled for the following year.

Across all worker grades, a medical allowance of Tk 730 has been established, marking a substantial increase of around 143 percent from the previous Tk 300. Similarly, the transport allowance has doubled to Tk 300.

For apprentice workers, the new monthly wage during the three-month apprenticeship period is set at Tk 5,307. In cases where the apprentice’s performance is unsatisfactory, the apprenticeship period may be extended for an additional three months. After completing the apprenticeship, employees will enter a novice period lasting six months, during which they will receive Tk 5,761 per month.

Khondoker Aynul Islam, the owners’ representative on the wage board and managing director of Southfield Fisheries Limited, expressed satisfaction with the process, stating that efforts were made to establish a reasonable and negotiable minimum wage plan for workers and employees. He mentioned that the negotiations proceeded smoothly, acknowledging that while the new wages may not fully meet their needs, they aimed to find a mutually agreeable position.

Industry insiders highlight the significance of shrimp farming as a vital source of employment in the country’s south-western coastal region. Approximately 12,000 people are directly employed in 105 shrimp processing plants, while the industry as a whole engages around one million individuals in various roles.

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