Explore ocean resources for our economic diversification

Bangladesh is a small country though it has a rich marine biodiversity which can encourage the practice of sustainable blue economy. Appropriate blue economy uses a harmonious use of ocean resources including its own health, human wellbeing, economic prosperity, environmental conservation and social equity. The ocean is actually a store house of innumerable resources combining both biotic and abiotic. Among the biotic resources; fisheries, aquaculture, marine plants, marine mammals and microorganisms primarily are mentionable. Among the a biotic resources mentionable are minerals, energy resources, sand and gravel, salt, and fresh water. These resources provide the sole support system to marine ecosystem which ultimately enhances the sustainability of livelihoods for millions all over the world. This also actively contributes to various industries and economies. To materialize this dream, our visionary leader who was a farsighted person understood the potentiality of marine resources from the very beginning of the liberation of the nation and established the "Territorial waters and Maritime Zones Act 1974." Fortunately, enough for a new nation like Bangladesh it was really an innovative step as this was enforced long eight years before the declaration of the "United Nations Convention on the law of the Sea, 1982." Actually, this was the foundation for exploring blue economy or ocean economy for Bangladesh. Lets have a clear understanding of what is meant by blue or ocean economy.

The Centre for the Blue Economy says "it is now a widely used term around the world with three related but distinct meanings- the overall contribution of the oceans to economies, the need to address the environmental and ecological sustainability of the oceans, and the ocean economy as a growth opportunity for both developed and developing countries."

A United Nations representative recently defined the Blue Economy as an economy that "comprises a range of economic sectors and related policies that together determine whether the use of ocean resources is sustainable. An important challenge of the blue economy is to understand and better manage the many aspects of oceanic sustainability, ranging from sustainable fisheries to ecosystem health to preventing pollution. Secondly, the blue economy challenges us to realize that the sustainable management of ocean resources will require collaboration across borders and sectors through a variety of partnerships, and on a scale that has not been previously achieved. This is a tall order, particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) who face significant limitations." The UN notes that the Blue Economy will aid in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, of which one goal, 14, is "Life Below Water". This is definitely significant for Bangladesh during the period when it has upgraded its status from low income to a mid-income country.
From the above definitions and explanations, it is sufficiently apprehensible that oceans carry huge amounts of resources for the lives on earth; just we need to determine the appropriate technology or tool to usher the best ways to make them potentially useful for sustainable growth of our economy. Now the term sustainability needs to be fully comprehended so that the activities that our nation determines to explore the lives under ocean might not go in vain for bearing a short-term benefit for us. The economy of Bangladesh has long been dependent on RMG sector, proudly showcasing its achievement in the readymade garment sector, but depending on only a single source of income is not wise for a progressing nation like Bangladesh. So, in view of economists, it is high time for Bangladesh to search for alternative sources while the blue economy may be a fruitful venture. Accordingly, countries all over the world are working for this aim to get proper benefits from the ocean.

Blue Economy is a sustainable economic concept, which can unveil a wide horizon for the economic growth of Bangladesh. Gunter Pauli, through his book "The Blue Economy: 10 years, 100 innovations, 100 million jobs" brought the Blue Economy concept into prominence. The "Blue economy" concept seeks to promote economic growth, social inclusion, and preservation or improvement of livelihoods while at the same time ensuring environmental sustainability.

Following this, under the perfect leadership of honourable prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has formulated policies related to ocean science in its 7th five-year plan. Considering all these factors in background, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University, Bangladesh (BSMRMU) started its journey in Bangladesh in 2013 having as the first and lone university with the aim of striving for maritime excellence.

Since its inception this university has been continually working for providing quality education to its graduates in the area of various ocean as well as maritime related disciplines. It is expected that the graduates completing their education from this university are supposed to be working in all the relevant fields of ocean to boost up the sustainability of blue economy in Bangladesh. Now lets consider the present status of blue economy in Bangladesh.

Present state of Blue Economy in Bangladesh According to a World Bank report, the gross value added to Bangladesh in 2014-15 from ocean economy was US$ 6,192.98 million which was around 3.33 per cent of the Bangladesh economy. Bangladesh?s current ocean economy is comprised largely of tourism and recreation (25 percent), marine capture fisheries and aqua-culture (22 percent), transport (22 percent), and offshore gas and oil extraction (19 percent), Ship & Boat -building/breaking (9 percent), Minerals (3 percent).

Employment data in the Bangladesh ocean economy are limited. Estimates suggest more than 17 million people are employed in fisheries and aquaculture (full and part-time, including inland production), of which some 1.35 million works in marine capture fisheries and aquaculture. An estimated 6 million more people are employed in sea salt production and ship breaking. Other reports estimates that 30 million people dependent on the ocean economy in Bangladesh, or almost 20 percent of the total population in 2015.

Despite this slow growth, Bangladesh has immense opportunities for flourishing blue economy. Keeping this in view, BSMRMU is going to organize an international seminar on "Sustainable Ocean Economy: Advancing Bangladeshs Blue Growth" in 29 April 2024. The seminar will include both plenary and parallel sessions. The seminar will be attended by renowned experts and scholars from home and abroad. It is expected that this timely seminar will breed some useful ideas and essential knowledge related to ocean economy and its sustainability.

We believe that the outcome of the seminar will invariably be a good platform for both novice and old scholars and researchers and give them a useful guideline to embark on a journey together to achieve the best results to support perfectly functioning policies for sustainable development goals of the Bangladesh governments agenda 2030 aligning with the vision 2041.

We can conclude here that if we want to make the policy workable, we need to take some practical steps which we expect will be emerged from the scholars and researchers discussion and debate during the technical sessions of the seminar. Bangladesh government shouldn ignore the prerequisite essentials for the blue economy to reach up to its high potentials. Some of the factors that the government should take special care of: highly skilled technical manpower and motivated group of research scientists. Hence Bangladesh needs to prepare skillful human resources for maritime sectors on i) Maritime security; ii) Maritime pollution; iii) Preservation and protection of marine living and non-living resources; iv) Oceanographic and marine sciences research and transfer of technology; v) Protecting marine environment; vi) Global climate change, etc. Well trained, skilled and educated human resources are the driving force of the development of an economy.

The writer is a Professor, Dept. of English, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University