Enhanced Coastal Fisheries in Bangladesh (ECOFISH II) Activity : Endline Survey Report

Abstract

The fisheries sector makes substantial contribution towards the country’s economy, creates job opportunities, and delivers essential protein to the population. Despite its contributions, the small-scale fish farmers live in poverty facing multiple challenges such as food insecurity, financial constraints and climate-related risks. In response, The Enhanced Coastal Fisheries in Bangladesh II (ECOFISH II) project, a 5-year initiative (December 2019 – November 2024) funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was jointly implemented by WorldFish and the Department of Fisheries (DoF). The overarching goal of ECOFISH II was improved social and ecological resilience and livelihood of coastal fisheries communities in the Zone of Resilience (ZOR), Meghna River Ecosystem (MRE) and Marine Protected Area (MPA) to secure equitable food, nutrition and income benefits through sustainable fishing practices and biodiversity conservation for fisheries communities. The endline survey evaluated the ECOFISH II project's impact on coastal fisheries' resilience and community benefits in ZOR, MRE and MPA. It provided a comprehensive analysis of the project's achievements and outputs over the implementation period, compared to baseline study benchmarks.