Aquaculture businesses : a low cost option for economic growth in Bangladesh

Abstract

Aquaculture could be used to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in Bangladesh over the next decade -helping to reduce the widespread poverty that is stifling the country's economic growth. The country already has the necessary water bodies and labor. Expertise is also available, because market-driven aquaculture has boomed in Bangladesh over the last three decades. Now is the time for decision makers to step in and capitalize on these advantages - to create more jobs, drive up economic growth, and fight poverty. What exactly can planners and policy makers do to gear up aquaculture-related enterprises? Researchers in Bangladesh have worked with the WorldFish Center to identify areas where strategic policy action could help to accelerate the growth of aquaculture. This brief highlights the areas concerned.