Marine ecosystems and fisheries: Trends and prospects

Abstract

Within the Bangladesh delta there is a significant dependence on aquatic ecosystem services both economically and for local well-being. The fisheries industry has seen steady growth with production tripling in the last two decades, largely driven by the expansion in inland aquaculture fisheries. Analysis shows that the impacts of climate change are likely to decrease the potential total fish production in the marine waters of Bangladesh by less than ten per cent. However, these potential impacts are much larger for the two major commercial species, Hilsa shad and Bombay duck. Under sustainable management practices, climate effects are likely to reduce Hilsa and Bombay duck catches by 2050 by up to 40 per cent of the current catches, with larger declines possible under unsustainable management. This underlines the importance of management adaptations to minimize the effects of climate change, particularly in situations where current exploitation rates exceed sustainable limits.