Community-based fisheries management approach adopted in Bangladesh

The Community Based Fisheries Management (CBFM) Project, funded by the Ford Foundation (1994-1999) and the UK Government's Department for International Development (2002- 2006), aimed to promote the sustainable use of, and equitable distribution of benefits from, inland fisheries resources by empowering communities to manage their own resources. The project was implemented by the WorldFish and the Government of Bangladesh's Department of Fisheries (DoF) with the support of 11 NonGovernmental Organizations (NGOs). Following the completion of the Project in May 2006, this paper reports the outcome of a quantitative assessment designed to determine whether or not the CBFM approach was successful with respect to the management of floodplain-river fishery resources in Bangladesh. It also aims to report effective management interventions and important lessons that might help inform the design of future co- or community-based fisheries management initiatives and programmes both in Bangladesh and elsewhere.