Socio-economic impacts of a poorly designed and managed hilsa shad fish sanctuary in Bangladesh and learning for sustainability

Biodiversity conservation and management of aquatic resources are crucial for improving dependent people's socio-economic conditions to partly achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, poor design and mismanagement of conservation program can result in negative outcomes. This study assesses the impacts of the Hizla-Mehendiganj hilsa sanctuary (where a complete fishing ban is imposed from March-April each year), Barishal, on fish catch and livelihoods of the dependent fishing communities adjacent to the sanctuary using a mixed-method approach. Results have shown negative impacts on both fish catch and socio-economic conditions of the dependent communities after the sanctuary establishment. Around 73% of fishers have reported that overall fish and hilsa catch in the sanctuary areas have reduced during the ban affecting their financial conditions, and consequently, their opportunity to take three meals a day has reduced. Households' mean fish consumption has decreased from 3.36 to 0.74 kg/week during the ban. Likewise, access to health care, family relationships, and children's education facilities have also been negatively affected during this period. The government's compensations, i.e., 40 kg rice/household/month hardly reach many of them. The compensations are very inadequate and affected due to mismanagement, and the fishers are unsatisfied with this. They were not involved in sanctuary design and management activities. Finally, this study provides some recommendations to involve the fishers in sanctuary management and improve their socio-economic conditions as well as to partly achieve some targets of Bangladesh SDGs.