Redirecting Benefits to to Genuine Fishermen: Bangladesh's New Fisheries Management Policy

Abstract

"In a bid to correct centuries old exploitative modes of production and to ensure the productivity and sustainability of currently degraded, publicly owned inland openwater bodies, the Government of Bangladesh recently instituted drastic changes in its fisheries management policy. The policy of leasing out fishing rights to the highest bidders, who were invariably wealthy middlemen, was replaced by a policy granting direct fishing rights to genuine fishermen under a government administered licensing program. This policy shift is expected to redefine the system of property rights in favor of households directly dependent on fishing for their livelihood. It also raises questions on how the new policy could improve economic prospects for the intended beneficiaries, but that it would also require a mix of management and financial inputs, infrastructure facilities, and institutional support. This paper discusses an experimental mechanism through which these necessary input could be provided, i.e., through active involvement of fishing communities and non-government organizations (NGOs)."