Bangladesh is set to launch a month-long marine survey in the Bay of Bengal to assess fishery resources and ecosystem health, aiming to support sustainable management and conservation efforts.
Conducted with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Norway, the expedition will begin on August 21 using the Norwegian research vessel "RV Dr Fridtjof Nansen".
Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar shared the details at a press conference held this afternoon at the fisheries ministry in Dhaka.
Twenty-six researchers from various countries, including 13 scientists from different institutions in Bangladesh, will take part in this approximately 32-day expedition, the ministry said in a press release.
The fishery resources extracted from the Bay of Bengal play a significant role in the country's economic growth, food security, and employment, the adviser said.
Ensuring proper management of Bangladesh's marine waters will further strengthen this sector's contribution to the national economy, she added.
She said the survey will assess the abundance and stock of small pelagic and mesopelagic fish, evaluate the species diversity of demersal fishery resources, and analyse the overall condition of the marine ecosystem.
Additionally, data will be collected on sea temperature, salinity, current speed, productivity, deep-sea circulation systems, and climate change impacts, she said.
Research on microplastics, marine debris, oxygen minimum zones, carbon dioxide levels, and ocean acidification will be conducted, which will help formulate effective policies to combat the impacts of climate change in the future, she said.
The adviser further said the scientific data obtained from this survey will assist in fishery resource conservation, sustainable harvesting, climate change adaptation, and protection of the marine environment.
Norway has always supported Bangladesh in sustainable fisheries management and marine research, Marianne Rabe Knaevelsrud, deputy head of mission of the Norwegian embassy in Dhaka, said at the event.
The survey will help ensure sustainable fisheries management, said Jiaoqun Shi, FAO representative in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh caught over 49 lakh tonnes of fish from its marine waters in the 2022-23 fiscal year, which rose to over 50 lakh tonnes the following year, reflecting a steady growth of 2.11 percent in marine fish production.