Bangladesh stresses ‘blue economy’

Bangladesh advocated at a global forum the inclusion of oceans and seas in the post-2015 development agenda to leverage the growth of “blue economy” for poverty alleviation.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 24 April 2014, 08:12 PM
Updated : 25 April 2014, 07:48 PM

Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali made the suggestion at a ‘high-level session’ on the opening day of the “Global Oceans Action Summit for Food Security and Blue Growth” at The Hague, the Dutch seat of government, on Thursday.

Grenada Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, US Secretary of the State John Kerry, and the Netherlands Minister for Agriculture Sharon Dijksma spoke at the colourful opening.

Mahmood Ali placed the idea at a time when the global community was working to shape the post-2015 development agenda when the current MDGs expire.

He cited Bangladesh’s own example and said 30 million people here directly depend on oceanic economic activities like fisheries and commercial transportation for their livelihood.

He pointed out that despite such dependence countries like “Bangladesh did not possess the critically required resources, capabilities and technologies for leveraging their marine resources”.

He said the newly elected Bangladesh government had laid stress on “promoting the growth of ‘Blue Economy’ as part of our long-term national development strategy in Bangladesh”.

File Photo

“The centrality of oceans and seas for our planet makes a compelling case for their inclusion as a stand-alone goal in the post-2015 Development Agenda, including the SDGs,” he said.

He also talked about the “growing adverse impact” of climate change on marine eco-systems and bio-diversity.

“We would urge that ongoing international scientific studies give particular attention to the Bay of Bengal and assess the likely changes in marine fish stock there,” he said.

He also made seven-point recommendations on a host of issues that include good governance for conventional fisheries management, establishment of marine protected areas, transfer or technology, promotion and protection of traditional knowledge, reducing marine pollution, capacity building for fish stock assessment and sustainable management of small scale fisheries.

On the sidelines of the summit, Mahmood Ali also joined a Rockefeller Foundation seminar along with the ministers of the Netherlands and Ghana.

He invited the Rockefeller Foundation along with other private sector stakeholders to help develop “new, innovative and flexible” financing mechanisms to create alternative livelihood opportunities for small-scale fishers during spawning and breeding seasons when fishing is restricted or prohibited in many countries including Bangladesh.

The Rockefeller Foundation expressed their interest in working with Bangladesh and other countries to make small scale fisheries sustainable and economically viable, according to the foreign ministry.

Secretary Maritime Affairs Unit of the Foreign Affairs Khursed Alam accompanied the minister at these events.