The Department of Fisheries has proposed a Tk47.55 crore project to improve fish production and fishers' livelihoods across four districts by supporting 29 oxbow lakes in southwestern Bangladesh.
The five-year project, titled "Community-based Fisheries Resource Management in Selected Oxbow Lake Areas", aims to raise fish production by at least 10% in selected lakes in Jashore, Jhenaidah, Chuadanga and Kushtia.
Planned activities include excavating silted sections of the lakes, locally known as baors, establishing fish sanctuaries, improving fish fry production facilities, providing training and strengthening community participation in fisheries management.
According to sources at the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, the initiative began in 2025, during the interim government's tenure, when the Jashore deputy commissioner moved to develop a project to increase fish production in the region's oxbow lakes.
The deputy commissioner chaired a meeting in December last year that decided to proceed with the project. An additional secretary and a joint secretary from the ministry, representatives of the fisheries department and residents attended the meeting.
The ministry approved the proposal at a meeting chaired by the then secretary in January this year. The Finance Division subsequently approved its staffing structure.
After the current government approved the staffing structure, the Planning Commission received the development project proposal. The proposed expenditure and activities are now awaiting appraisal.
The project proposes spending Tk11.22 crore to excavate selected sections of silted lakes, increasing their depth and water-retention capacity. This is expected to improve conditions for fish to survive and grow during the dry season.
Another Tk2.32 crore has been proposed for establishing sanctuaries in the 29 lakes to conserve native fish species and support natural breeding.
The proposal also includes Tk1.73 crore to renovate 35 existing fish fry production ponds, Tk1.40 crore for farm mechanisation and Tk1.20 crore to install six deep tube wells for water supply.
To support lake management, training, fry distribution, and extension services, the proposal includes Tk7.31 crore to rebuild six dilapidated lake managers' office buildings.
Tk2.90 crore has been earmarked to establish 290 nursery operations in wetlands over five years. A separate allocation of Tk7.62 crore is proposed for releasing carp and native fish fry into selected water bodies.
The nursery operations would support fry rearing and production, while releasing fry would help increase fish stocks in the designated lakes and wetlands.
The equipment budget is Tk8 lakh, covering four desktop computers, two laptops, four printers and accessories.
Alongside increasing production, the project aims to conserve the lakes' natural environment and establish sustainable fisheries management through local community participation.
Asked about the proposal, Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Md Delwar Hossain said the project sought to increase fish production while involving local fishers in effective lake management.
Plans include identifying suitable water bodies, establishing sanctuaries, monitoring fish protection measures and training residents, he said.
Fishing would be regulated within designated sanctuary areas to allow natural breeding and stock replenishment. During the monsoon, fish could spread into surrounding rivers and wetlands, where local fishers could catch them.
Delwar Hossain said the approach was expected to increase production and deliver lasting benefits for fishing communities.
He said the proposed costs and the need for individual activities were being assessed, and that the Project Evaluation Committee would review them before further decisions.
Department of Fisheries Acting Director General Dr Md Khaled Kanak described the proposal as a community-based fisheries development project.
He said such initiatives to improve the living standards of fishers dependent on oxbow lakes had long been lacking. Many lakes had become shallow, damaging fish habitats and reducing their capacity to support production.
The project would seek to improve the water bodies and establish an effective structure for community-based management, he said.
Updating the lists of fishers who depend on the lakes was another important objective, Khaled Kanak added. Membership lists of fishers' associations formed in the 1990s had not been updated for many years.
The project would help include genuine fishers, uphold their rights, and ensure a fair distribution of fishing benefits. It would also provide equipment and logistical support for management activities.
However, Khaled Kanak stressed that the figures remained proposed allocations. The need for infrastructure, equipment specifications and prices, and the justification for staffing would all require assessment and rationalisation.
Officials expect the project, if implemented, to conserve the lakes' natural resources while creating opportunities to increase local fishers' incomes and improve their livelihoods.
They said achieving the target of at least 10% growth in fish production could also help sustain benefits beyond the project's five-year duration.