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This is a weighty report of formidable bulk and understandably so. Rarely has a Workshop in Bangladesh or anywhere else been so comprehensive in mandate or assembled such an array of fisheries expertise. Why was the workshop held? Quite simply, to give effect to Bangladesh's vision of fisheries development and management, set forth in its Perspective Development Plan for 1995-2010. That plan seeks to increase production of fish, manage and conserve fisheries resources for present and future generations, encourage private enterprise, increase overall economic growth, and generate employment and incomes, particularly for the rural poor and unemployed youth. These are comprehensive goals, and call for clear guidelines and strategies to address the problems and concerns of fisheries. The National Workshop on Fisheries Resources Development and Management, in Bangladesh, held 29 October-1 November, 1995, in Dhaka, sought to evolve such guidelines and strategies. The Workshop's recommendations are wide-ranging. They relate to the management of inland fisheries, brackishwater and marine fisheries resources; the management needs of freshwater, marine and brackishwater aquaculture; integrated management of land and water; financing of all these sectors; the legal framework for fishing community development and management; the marketing of fish and fish products. In sum, the Workshop (sponsored jointly by the FAO through BOBP, and the ODA) left nothing uncovered or untouched. The report of this Workshop should therefore be a valuable document - for research and reference, and for the needs of everyone who is concerned with fisheries development and management in Bangladesh. It is significant that the nine papers presented at the Workshop were all by experts from Bangladesh. The editorial board that finalized this report also consists entirely of Bangladesh nationals. The Workshop and the resulting report are therefore examples of national effort, fully reflecting the spirit of national execution during the BOBP's Third Phase. Kee-Chai CHONG Programme Coordinator, |
