Aquaculture Commercialization in Bangladesh: Achievements, Problems and Prospects

Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman Khan and Dr. Md. Salauddin Palash

Abstract
Bangladesh is experiencing a quiet revolution in aquaculture farming and market business that is
having a direct impact on improving livelihoods, nutrition, employment generation, both in urban
and rural areas. Aquaculture in Bangladesh has transformed from a subsistence-oriented endeavor
by small-scale farmers into a commercial sector of the economy. This paper is an attempt to present
an overview of the present status of aquaculture commercialization of Bangladesh considering the
achievements, its causes, problems and prospects. From mid 1980s, different government
organizations and research institutes have been contributed significantly to develop economically
viable and environmentally compatible agricultural technologiesy and successfully transferred to
the farmers and market actors. Consequently, a notable amount of rice land has been converted to
commercial fish farming due to high profitability associated with fish production. Therefore, both
aquaculture production and productivity have increased tremendously during the last three decades
and export earning has also increased significantly. Not just in the production unit of fish but also
in many off-farm segments, such as rural and urban traders, fish seed producer and suppliers, other
input dealers and feed mills have developed which has have created a more competitive
environment that pushed the sector to be commercialized through adoption of new technologies.
Nevertheless, fish market is far from satisfactory level in terms of space, sanitation, drainage and
management, and the value chain is still complex in nature. Many constraints are responsible for
rapid slow commercialization of aquaculture such as , including poor quality of seed, high price
of industrial feed and low quality feed, poor structure of supply chain structure, biological hazard
in supply chain, capital shortage, appropriate technology, inadequate extension service, proper
policy, rules and regulations, etc. However, appropriate price policy, introducing eco-labeling and
block chain technology can accelerate further commercialization of aquaculture in Bangladesh.