INTEGRATED PROTECTED AREA CO-MANAGEMENT (IPAC) - BIDS

Increase awareness on sanctuaries and fishing
The present study reveals that a large number of respondent actors were not aware of the
prevailing sanctuaries of fish and other aquatic resources (See Chapter 3) as about 55 percent
reported that they were not aware of the existence of sanctuaries. Even those fisher respondents,
who were aware of the restricted areas of fishing grounds, confessed that they often harvest in
restricted fish sanctuaries. The survey also shows that more than a quarter of the respondents
had no knowledge if they were fishing at the sanctuaries. The awareness level of the community
regarding the sanctuaries needs enhancement. Campaigns on public awareness in creating safe
habitat for fish and conserving fisheries resources to protect rare species through bill-board,
handbills, leaflets, stickers, and mobile SMS generation need careful attention.
The use of the Information Technology (IT) should be further enhanced in protecting the
sanctuaries that are crucial to conservation of the Sundarbans. Some experts strongly suggested
allocation of special budget for the FD to incorporate IT in their monitoring mechanism. The
options for IGAs for the people living in places surrounding the sanctuaries should be targeted.
Provide ID card to collectors
Apart from the ones described above, there are also a number of other issues. The collectors of
the SRF should be provided identification cards which, the SRF actors observed, will improve
the situation and status of the collectors. The FD would be able to ensure the total number of
collectors and the amount of catch they are allowed per year, apart from providing some useful
information on certain species.
Lifting restriction on goran
The pressure on fuel-wood comes mainly from poor actors of the SRF. Such actors also
supplement some incomes through fuel wood sales. On the other hand, dung is getting scarce to
be available for fuel, which is also likely to have impact on agriculture. Women have to spend
greater time fetching fuel-wood to meet domestic cooking needs. The increase in time burdens is
likely to have impact on the caring responsibilities of household members. Following this, it is
difficult to stop illegal harvesting of goran. In this pretext, the poor community may also get
involved in illegal logging activities. So, the ban on goran (imposed since Sidr) needs to be
withdrawn.
Geographical flows of SFR products
Mapping of geographical flows of SRF products (Chapter 4), which have some policy
implications, shows that so far the first stage movements are concerned, the SRF products are
traded within SIZ upazilas to the extent more than one third (34.1%) while the proportion that
are traded in other parts of the country [e.g., Khulna, Chittagong and Dhaka (presumably some
for exports), and other parts of the country] estimates as about a little less than two-thirds
(63.7%). The traded quantity directly from SIZ to outside the country is estimated as about only
2.3 percent.
6.6 Climate Change and Adaptation Measures
Like co-management of SRF, climate change and adaptations was also not much a related topic
in the context of the current value chain analysis study. Based on whatever interactions we had
with the respondents on the issue of climate change and adaptations, the study observes that the
SRF actors, by and large, are quite aware of the ongoing climate change and their effects (See
Chapter 3, Section 3.4). Generally, the SRF actors perceived that climate change has already
resulted in abnormal increase in salinity. The percentage of respondents reporting the severity of
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