- Bangladesh has seen a sudden rise in illegal shark and ray fishing and consumption in recent years.
- A decrease in catch of traditionally consumed fish species and the lower prices of sharks and stingrays have led to this rise in popularity. Additionally, traders export ray skins and shark parts to East and Southeast Asian countries.
- Sharks and rays are protected species in Bangladesh and existing laws prohibit their catching, selling and consumption.
- Conservationists blame the weak law enforcement and lack of awareness among fishers and suggest that the government initiate stricter conservation measures besides providing subsidies to the poor fishers.
Though seafood is a prevalent protein source in Bangladesh, some fishes, like stingrays and sharks, never appealed to most of the population here, barring a few coastal Indigenous groups. However, the illegal fishing of such species has become common in the country in recent years.
In a recent incident on Feb. 21, authorities detained 22 fishers and confiscated around 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of stingray from the coasts of Sundarbans mangroves.
Conservationists and experts working in fishery sectors blame poor law enforcement, lack of awareness among fishers, rising illegal demands and poverty of the fishing community as some of the reasons behind the exploitation of such protected marine species in Bangladesh.
Data from WCS Bangladesh’s research shows the country’s waters are home to 10 families of sharks and 12 families of rays. Of them, stingrays and whiprays (Dasyatidae family), locally known as shapla pata, are the most common. More than half the shark and ray species found in Bangladesh are threatened with the risk of extinction, according to the research.
A 2018 study shows that in Bangladesh stingrays are mainly harvested by artisanal fishers using gillnets, set bag nets (a low-cost, artisanal commercial method in coastal and estuarine waters) and longline hooks between depths of 5 meters (16 feet) and 40 m (130 ft) by the seashore and in coastal rivers in coastal districts like Noakhali, Bhola, Patuakhali, Khulna and Bagerhat.
Stingrays have become popular among the poorer sections of the society due to their lower price, which is in turn due to less demand. The skins of these fish are usually dried and exported to countries like China, Thailand, Singapore and Myanmar, according to the study.
Similar to rays, sharks are not popular as food in Bangladesh, too. However, dried shark fins are exported to other countries, including China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand. A large portion of dried shark parts like fins, meat and bones are also smuggled to Myanmar through land borders as well.
According to the Bangladesh Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act 2012, catching, selling and consuming these species is prohibited in Bangladesh due to their vulnerable and endangered status. The Act also indicates that dealing with such protected species is a punishable offense.
However, Md. Anisur Rahman, a former director of the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI), told Mongabay, “The illegal catching of such protected species is very random among the fishers. We come to know only what the media reports, while most of it is unreported. Weak law enforcement and poor knowledge of the fishermen about conserving the species are the major reasons behind such incidents.
“We don’t have any research on the exact status of illegal catching and what kind of species are [going] extinct due to such [practices],” he said, adding that even the government’s annual fish catching report does not mention the name of such protected species.
Mohammad Zahangir Alom, country director of WCS Bangladesh said, “Despite the presence of a strong law, it is not effective in reality.”
Citing the example of confiscating protected marine species across the coastal zones, he said, “These are not isolated events, rather covered by national media; however, the government has yet to stop the illegal practice.”
Overexploitation of marine fishes and fishers’ reality
According to Fisheries Statistics of Bangladesh 2023-24, the total marine fish catches has increased over four decades to 629,000 tons in 2023-24 from 165,000 tons in 1983-84.
According to a 2021 study, Bangladesh is home to 394 species of marine fish, a decline from 475 species in 1971. The study blames human activities like juvenile catch, overexploitation and creating barriers in the migratory routes as some of the reasons behind the reduced fish diversity.
Mahbubul Alam Yousufi, a fish trader based in Noakhali district, told Mongabay, “The demand for such unusual fish was not very common even one decade ago. But the demand curve has changed nowadays.”
“At the same time, the fishers are happy when they can catch a large fish like stingray since the number of catches from seabound boats has decreased in recent years. Naturally, this large catch helps to ensure their livelihood,” said Yousufi, who has been engaged in the fish trading business for the last 25 years.
Rustom Ali Howlader from Poragola village in the Kadamtola area of Noakhali district, who has been working as a fisher for the last 30 years, told Mongabay, “Firstly, the number of fishers has increased over time. Naturally, the quantity of fish catches increased and yet, individually, they are not catching enough fish in the water. Since the fishers are not getting enough fish as before, many of them are now focused on catching stingray as they are large and ensure a moderate amount of money.”
Muhammad Tanvir Hossain Chowdhury, deputy director (blue economy) at the Department of Fisheries, blamed the over-exploitation of marine fishes to some extent for the illegal fishing of such species.
“Since the coastal rivers and estuaries are experiencing the navigability crisis due to the siltation, [stingrays] easily get caught in fishers’ nets,” he added.
Abu Naser Monju, a journalist based in Noakhali district, told Mongabay about the reality of the fishers, “Firstly, the awareness about protecting such species among fishers is absent, in most cases. Secondly, due to its huge size, the fish ensures good money for them, which comes as a compensation in the absence of adequate fish catches.”
He suggested that the government launch an awareness-building initiative to protect and save such marine species and allocate financial incentives to the poor fishers to refrain from illegal catches.
Regarding protecting such marine species, Chowdhury told Mongabay, “With an aim to protect the species from [going] extinct, the government has brought them under the Wildlife Act 2012 and declared them as protected.
“Along with strict law enforcement, the government has been planning adequate measures to curb the exploitation of such important species,” he added.
Banner image: A fisher holds up two stingrays from his catch. Image by Muhammad Mostafigur Rahman.
Overfishing leads to decline in Bangladesh marine fish stocks & diversity
Citations:
Mansur, E. F., Billah, G. M. M., Parves, N., Kauser, R., Shamsuddoha, M., … Smith, B. D. (2022) Shark and rays of Bangladesh -a guide to identifying protected species and their commonly traded parts. Wildlife Conservation Society Bangladesh. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378239777_Shark_and_rays_of_Bangladesh_-a_guide_to_identifying_protected_species_and_their_commonly_traded_parts
Hasan, M. D. M. (2018). Threatened shark biodiversity in the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh: conservation needs. Journal of Aquatic Marine Biology, 7(3), 136. doi:10.15406/jamb.2018.07.00199
Rahman, M. J., Nahiduzzaman, M., & Wahab, M. A. (2021). Threats to Fish Biodiversity in Bangladesh Waters and Measures for Revival of Declining Population. Journal of the Indian Society of Coastal Agricultural Research, 39(2), 66-79. doi:10.54894/JISCAR.39.2.2021.111076
Uddin, M. N., Rahman, M., Hossain, M. J., Tumpa, I. J., & Hossain, Z. (2018). Study of stingray harvesting, marketing and utilization in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Journal of the Bangladesh Agricultural University, 16(3), 539-544. doi:10.3329/jbau.v16i3.39452
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