It needs no emphasising that we can make our economy more vibrant utilising the marine resources properly and the incumbent government is taking various measures to this end. The government has framed new strategies to harness the potential of blue economy addressing how and in what way the ocean-based industries such as shipping, fisheries, energy and minerals, seaports, tourism, and marine biotechnology can contribute to the country’s economic growth. However, Bangladesh has not been able to conduct adequate survey to learn and identify maritime resources. Still we are lagging behind in exploiting our blue economy potential due to lack of technology and efficient manpower.
Bangladesh is geographically blessed as the country is located on the Bay of Bengal. Bay of Bengal has long been contributing to Bangladesh’s economic growth and can serve us with a plenty of resources that can help the country ensure food security, eradicate poverty boost economic growth and generate sustainable as well as inclusive employments. Ocean selflessly offers its bounty to us but we in Bangladesh have not been able to exploit the abundance of treasure beneath it. Needless to say, safe and environmentally sustainable extraction of sea resources will make a remarkable contribution to the wellbeing of our future generation.
Safe and environmentally sustainable
extraction of sea resources will make
a remarkable contribution to the
wellbeing of our future generation
Bangladesh reportedly has 1, 18,813 square kilometres of maritime area and more than 30 million people directly depend on oceanic economic activities like fisheries and commercial transportation. We must nurture what we have and in order to do that we need to learn and identify the amount of resources available in the sea. To this end, integrating new technology and conducting adequate and quality research are pertinent. Also, for harnessing the full potential of blue economy, stepping up by the private sector has become more than a necessity.
It is envisaged that private sector can play a crucial role in improving country’s maritime research and surveys. We hope that the government and its departments concerned will involve private sector in government’s coastal development and management plan. Last but not least, Bangladesh needs to leverage conservation and utilisation of marine and coastal ecosystems in an efficient manner.
