EU Artemia4Bangladesh Quarterly Progress Report July-September 2020

Abstract

The Artemia4Bangladesh project started the operation on 6 March 2020. The implementation of the project activities were partially suspended from 10 May - 9 August 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic. The EU Delegation office, at the request of WorldFish, lifted the partial suspension from 10 August 2020. The aim of this report is to describe the progress of the project activities, challenges faced and lessons learned during July-September 2020. The major achievements during this period include i. recruitment of project staff; ii. selection of the location and finalization of the agreement with land owner to set up local office in Cox’s Bazar; iii. rapid assessment on the impact of COVID-19 on aquaculture and fisheries in the project area; iv. conduct Training and Trainer (ToT) on Artemia culture for project staff and major government stakeholders including officials of Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute and Bangladesh Small Cottage and Industries Corporation; v. develop a manual on Artemia culture in the salt farms; vi. prepare a video for virtual launching events of Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture projects of the European Union; vii. develop database on aquaculture and fisheries stakeholders in Cox’s Bazar district; and viii. publish an article in the international aquaculture magazine on the prospects of Artemia culture. The major challenges have been working during the COVID-19 pandemic, selection and reaching agreement with partners as the strengthening of collaboration with stakeholders and partners are essential for program implementation. The plans for the next quarter are to enhance the activities inclusive of the Artemia demonstration ponds, capacity building of the stakeholders, and baseline study of the salt farmers.