'Blue Economy' boon for Bangladesh: PM

'Blue Economy' is a concept that can significantly contribute to the socio-economic development of Bangladesh, says Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Sumon Mahbubbdnews24.com
Published : 1 Sept 2014, 07:14 AM
Updated : 1 Sept 2014, 11:07 AM

"Blue economy concept has ushered in a new horizon for economic development of the coastal countries through utilising the sea and marine resources at national and international level," she told the inaugural ceremony at an international seminar on the issue here on Monday.

She said the role of marine resources in poverty alleviation, acquiring autarky in food production, protecting environmental balance, facing adverse impacts of climate change and other economic possibilities are unlimited.

"Alongside the existing land-based development activities, the marine-based economic activities through the management of sea and its resources through Blue Economy may be considered as a new horizon for development of the coastal countries and the small island developing states," Hasina said.

Describing the Bay of Bengal as Bangladesh's 'third neighbour', the Prime Minister said: "There is no doubt that sea-related subjects like expansion of international trade, use of marine mineral resources for long-term energy security, proper management of marine fish resources and protecting marine environment and bio-diversity would determine Bangladesh’s future development and economic growth."

"We have to ensure sustainable development through proper utilization of the potentials of the sea and marine resources," she said.
Hasina said that her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman enacted the Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act 1974 to establish Bangladesh’s sovereign rights over the sea and its resources.
Consequent to this some of the important provisions of Bangladesh’s Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act of 1974 were also included in the UNCLOS 1982. Especially the articles 7(2) of the UNCLOS on deltaic base line for highly unstable coastline were incorporated on Bangladesh's insistence, she claimed.
But the Prime Minister regretted that Bangladesh could not harness resources of the sea due to non delimitation of maritime boundary with neighbours India and Myanmar for a long time.
She blamed 'successive governments in Bangladesh' for not taking appropriate and realistic steps to settle the issue of maritime boundary and alleged they instead ' created various complexities'.
"Owing to the absence of maritime boundary demarcation, people of Bangladesh were not able to take any effective steps to exploit and explore the marine resources of the Bay of Bengal," she said, adding that while Bangladesh fishermen faced difficulties in exploiting the resources, those from other countries 'easily plundered fish resources due to unsettled maritime boundary'.
She said after coming to power in 1996, her government ratified the UNCLOS in 2001 with a view to ensuring legal rights over marine resources.
After the ratification, Bangladesh was supposed to submit relevant scientific and technical data to the UN for establishing extended continental shelf, she said.
"In March, 2010, we conducted the first marine seismic survey in the history of Bangladesh. After completing all the technical and legal documentation details, we lodged our submission with the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) on 25 February 2011; five months before the scheduled deadline."
Hasina said 'sustained efforts' by her government led to the favourable verdict by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Germany in the delimitation case with Myanmar on 14 March in 2012.

"The award helped us establishing sovereign rights over the living and nonliving resources of the Bay of Bengal in the Exclusive Economic Zone within 200 nm and in the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. In the same way, the verdict with India declared on 7 July 2014 also allowed Bangladesh’s sovereign rights on all the living and mineral resources of the Continental Shelf extending upto 354 nautical miles."

She claimed Bangladesh has set an example in Asia in settling maritime boundary peacefully with her neighbors, the allusion clearly pointing to the tensions in the South China Sea.

"A huge stock of living and non-living resources is available under the seabed and water column. But we have a dearth of skilled manpower to ascertain the availability and explore the resources. Besides, there is also lack of proper technology for exploiting deep sea fishes and seabed resources. To build skilled manpower in these sectors, we have taken steps to impart higher education on Oceanography at the Dhaka University and Chittagong University. The first National Oceanographic Research Institute’ is being established at Ramu to create marine scientific community for research," Hasina said.

The Prime Minister insisted on strengthening the navy and the coast guard to fight piracy and protect the country's Exclusive Economic Zone and its Continental Shelf that held the key to the steps for establishing an effective 'blue economy'.