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Fig. 3. Model for pragmatic action for the development of sus-

tainable dead-river fish culture (Parvin et al. 2008).

Sustainability

The practice of dead-

river fish culture in the char

area of northern Bangla-

desh is traditional. As such,

the productivity is low com-

pared with extensive fish

farming in pond systems

in rural Bangladesh, with

an average of 3,500 kg/ha/

yr (ADB 2005). It is, there-

fore, suggested that higher

fish yields can be obtained

through community-based

better management practic-

es (Sultana and Thompson

2007). Active community

participation with their adaptive and

proactive capacities is also important

for sustainable dead-river fish culture.

It is also worthwhile to find a means

of providing institutional and orga-

nizational support, training facilities

and extension services. Training and

technical support would help improve

profitability and reduce risks. The

provision of low-interest credit would

also help reduce risks for char dwell-

ers. Additionally, it is necessary to

build a link between the efforts taken

at the community level and develop-

ment organizations (Brocklesby and

Fisher 2003). Community participa-

tion should be supported and guided

by local governments and NGOs to

make it both more effective and envi-

ronmentally friendly. To develop sus-

tainable dead-river fish culture, the

government should incorporate the

method of coordination and partner-

ship among the development efforts

of government, NGOs and commu-

nities (Figure 3). In addition, a posi-

tive government policy can help to

promote sustainable development of

dead-river fish culture throughout the

char region.

Notes

1

Nesar Ahmed is Professor in the De-

partment of Fisheries Management,

Bangladesh Agricultural University,

Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh, spe-

cialized in ‘socioeconomic aspects of

aquatic resources development’ who

obtained a PhD from the University of

Stirling, UK and postdoctoral research

fellowship at Charles Darwin Univer-

sity, Australia. E-mail: nesar_2000@

yahoo.com

Acknowledgments

The study was supported by the

UK Department for International De-

velopment (DFID) as part of the Mar-

ket Development Fund under CLP. I

am deeply indebted to TARA and

RSDA for the facilities accorded dur-

ing field visits and data collection. The

opinions expressed herein are those of

the author and do not necessarily re-

flect the views of any organization.

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