GNAEC : Greater Noakhali Aquaculture Extension Component

Quarterly Newsletter : Year-2 : Issue-6 : January-March 2005

Editorial

Team Leader of ASPS-II Identification Mission visiting prawn farming in Noakhali

ASPS II Identification Workshop

Early in February, the Agricultural Sector Programme Support of the Royal Danish Embassy held a major workshop in Chittagong to begin the process of identification for the second phase of the Programme, which is scheduled to begin in July 2006. The workshop brought together over 100 participants from the crops, livestock, fisheries and rural roads sectors, including representatives of government, the private sector, civil society and NGOs. The workshop was facilitated by a team of Danish and local consultants.
The workshop format was highly participatory with ten working groups spending several hours discussing possible directions for the Programme. The outputs of the working groups were then reported in a plenary session, during which participants raised further issues and proposed changes. The workshop outcomes have been summarized in a report.
GNAEP was represented at the workshop by the Project Director, the Extension and Training Advisor, the managing directors of the two freshwater prawn hatcheries, Mr. Manzoor Hossain and Mr. Masudur Rahman, the Union Parishad Chairman of Sundulpur Union, Mr. Abdul Rahim, and the President of the Mohona Bahumukhi Unnayan Shongshta, Mr. Billah Babul. The GNAEP participants were divided into three groups and all made important contributions to the debate, particularly emphasizing the role of the private sector and community-based organizations in sustainable development. The workshop report suggests that the direction of the future programme will emphasize the role of CBOs, local government and the private sector in integrated extension framework at the local level.

GNAEP's Hatiya Programme

The original Project design of GNAEP defined the target area as the 14 Upazilas of Greater Noakhali. In fact Noakhali comprises 15 Upazilas, including the offshore island of Hatiya. This was not included in the design, presumably because of the difficulties of access. However, under GNAEP's pro-poor policy, Hatiya is an obvious area for work. Its island location and susceptibility to natural disasters make it much the poorest part of Noakhali district, but there are considerable potentials for improving livelihoods of the poorest groups through aquaculture and aquatic resources management.
As already described in these pages (NAN, No. 1, 2003, Page-7 ) GNAEP began to work in Hatiya in late 2003 with a particular emphasis on assisting poor inshore fishers to supply fish meal for the prawn industry on the mainland. During Project management's visit to Hatiya in early 2004, the Project team in Hatiya identified other groups for whom aquaculture development might offer livelihood improvement, particularly the so-called 'killa colonies' where the community ponds created by the development of the settlements appeared to offer a significant resource. These were included in the SETUP programme organized through Burirchar Union Parishad in 2004. The Chairman of the Union Parishad has used funding from the Government of Bangladesh budget to raise the dikes surrounding these ponds. This programme also included development of small pond aquaculture with a small number of groups. Aquaculture in Hatiya is backward because of the lack of/high price of quality fingerlings and GNAEP has been seeking to overcome this constraint through encouraging private sector investment in a carp hatchery. This is now ready for production.