Fisheries co-management in hilsa shad sanctuaries of Bangladesh: Early experiences and implementation challenges

Community-based fisheries management has long been practiced in the management of the inland fisheries of Bangladesh. However, formal coastal co-management has only been implemented recently in hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha) sanctuaries. The study analysed the pre-implementation processes, institutional arrangements, implementation activities, as well as challenges for fisheries co-management that are currently being implemented in the Padma-Meghna riverine-estuarine system. As a first step in establishing a co-management system in hilsa shad sanctuaries, communities (both fishing villages and fish landing centres) were selected for interventions. Co-management committees were formed from the community-village to district level with the defined tasks of developing plans and programs, implementing management rules and regulations, monitoring compliance, and creating awareness in a cost-effective manner among various stakeholders. Still, the operationalization of co-management in this large riverine-estuarine system is a challenging task. To overcome these challenges, several issues had to be considered through lessons learned from previously implemented community-based fisheries management projects in Bangladesh. To ensure that fisheries co-management is functional, the institutional framework needs to be flexible with support from local government institutions and NGOs. The boundary of the management unit needs to be clearly defined and community-based organization also needs a clear legal status. To make co-management sustainable, a relationship of trust and respect among co-management partners needs to be developed and maintained. The effective implementation of fisheries co-management will require an inclusive compensation scheme that will motivate stakeholders to comply and maintain fisheries management efforts through collective action.