Under this extension, the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish, led by Mississippi State University, receives a substantial up to $15 million, while the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Legume Systems Research, led by Michigan State University, is granted an up to $14 million extension, subject to the availability of funds.

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish is dedicated to strengthening the climate resilience of fisheries and other aquatic food systems, including the harvesting of shellfish and seaweed, in countries such as Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya, and Zambia. These aquatic foods are not only nutritious sources of animal protein but also represent some of the world’s most traded agricultural products, offering essential income to aquatic farmers and fishers.

However, the ongoing rise in oceanic temperatures and increasing acidification pose significant threats to these fisheries. It is estimated that fisheries in tropical regions could witness up to a 50% decline in their catch levels by the end of the century. Given that approximately 2.6 billion people in developing nations rely on fish for both protein and income, these changes could have dire consequences for their food security and resilience.

Building upon years of research, the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish focuses on developing and scaling innovations that not only increase fish production but also prioritize the conservation of natural resources and address the needs of producers and fishers. The next phase of this initiative places a strong emphasis on promoting sustainable and climate-smart practices, such as enhancing the carbon storage capacity of coastal wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the extension will concentrate on enhancing food safety and inclusivity within the aquatic food value chains, thereby ensuring that more people can access nutritious diets and secure livelihoods.

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Legume Systems Research is dedicated to developing innovative methods for the sustainable scaling of grain legume production in West and Southern Africa. Legumes, including beans and lentils, provide a vital source of affordable protein and play a crucial role in improving climate resilience by returning nitrogen to the soil, thereby enhancing soil health.

The Feed the Future Legume Systems Innovation Lab has successfully created improved varieties of pest-resistant cowpeas and common beans. Pests represent a significant threat to legume production, responsible for substantial food losses, with some capable of destroying up to 80% of farmers’ yields and contributing to over 48% of post-harvest losses.

Through groundbreaking research, the production of these new legume varieties will be scaled up and introduced to the market. This initiative will not only enhance the resilience of legume farmers’ livelihoods but also increase the availability of nutritious food. The program’s expansion will encompass more communities in previously unexplored regions of Africa and will mark its debut in Latin America and the Caribbean. Furthermore, this extension will empower women and young people within the legume production systems, building on past success in providing economic opportunities to rural women’s groups and supporting over 60 students in attaining higher education degrees.

The commitment of USAID to these initiatives underscores the United States government’s dedication to improving global food security, promoting sustainability, and fostering economic opportunities that will benefit communities worldwide.

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However, in recent years, a new glimmer of hope has emerged about the availability of large-size fresh water pangas. Other fish stocks in the river have increased as a result of the Hilsa protection effort. The Department of Fisheries has removed the illegal fishing trap known as ‘Chai,’ which was set up at numerous pangas hatching places such as Chandpur and Shariatpur.

The Fisheries Act prohibits the capture of pangas smaller than 12 inches (30 cm) from the wild. Disobedience to the law, reservoir destruction, haphazard infrastructure construction, killing of fry and eggs, use of illegal nets, excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers, dumping of industrial waste in rivers and oceans, and plastic pollution have all contributed to the decline of the pangas fish population.

For several years, ECOFISH II, a project of Worldfish funded by USAID, carried out in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, has been undertaking numerous efforts.  They organized different awareness programs for pangas conservation through all over Bangladesh, especially in the riverine region of Chadpur, Borguna and Barishal.   Furthermore, any groups have made no such conservation efforts. The approach of the ECOFISH II team might be viewed as the first step toward riverine Pangas’s conservation and management. Department of Fisheries were tried their level best to eliminate the use of chai, which is used for catching the fry of riverine pangas species. 200-300 kg of fry are caught in one such Pangas fish fry net or Chai.

Nevertheless, this vicious cycle has started in recent years when the production of natural pangas fish has been increasing. Around 600 kg of Pangas fish fry were seized from three boats in the Meghna River because of a joint operation of the Fisheries Department, Chandpur Sadar and the Coast Guard.

Pangas fish contain less mercury than other varieties of fish, making them a safer choice for regular intake. It contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are necessary for cardiovascular health and cognitive function. It is high time to conserve riverine Pangas fish stock, so that it can continue to exist for future generations. Pangas fish resource users should emphasize on conserving Pangas breeding, nursery, and spawning grounds. Fishermen should encourage other fishermen to stop illegal fishing of Pangas, so that a sustainable catch rate could be retained.

Farhana Islam
Agriculturist, Researcher
Fisheries Resource Management, CVASU

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KH Mahbubul Haque, the Director General of Bangladesh Fisheries, attended the workshop as the chief guest. The event attracted various prominent individuals and both private and public stakeholders involved in carp production and research. On behalf of the Department of Fisheries (DoF), KH Mahbubul Haque officially received the rapidly-growing WorldFish Generation Three (G3) Rohu.

In 2012, WorldFish implemented the Carp Genetic Improvement Program (CGIP), which involved collecting juvenile Rohu, Catla, and Silver Carp fish and their spawns from three rivers in Bangladesh—Padma, Jamuna, and Halda. The G3 Rohu strains were then cultivated in 19 hatcheries for an on-farm trial in 2022. The trial demonstrated that the G3 Rohu weighed 37% more than conventional varieties.

During the workshop, Mohammad Yeasin, the Dissemination Manager of WorldFish, expressed, “The adoption of the G3 Rohu brood by the Bangladesh Fisheries Department will accelerate the dissemination of this improved breed of Rohu throughout the entire country.”

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