A Brief on EU-BGD Joint Collaboration on Blue Economy in Bangladesh – Drs Pierre Failler and M. Gulam Hussain

Traditional fishing boats at the coast of Inani, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Photo: Pierre Failler

Marine fish sorting by women workers for making dry fish at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Photo: Gulam Hussain

The European Union (EU) implemented a 2 year (August 2016 – July 2018) technical assistance program ie. “EU-BGD joint collaboration on Blue Economy” under the auspices of Maritime Affairs Unit, MoFA, Govt. of Bangladesh. The goal of this program is to contribute to the formulation of a national vision and governance framework in the field of the blue economy, and to ensure its implementation in a broader partnership, including government, private sector, academia, and other stakeholders. Two international Key Experts, Dr. Pierre Failler, a Marine Resource Economist and Dr. M. Gulam Hussain, a Fisheries and Aquaculture Expert were appointed and responsible to carry out the blue economy programs. The experts delivered the projects and implemented assigned duties as per their ToRs and developed Blue Economy Strategy Document and Policy Guidelines for Bangladesh. The experts also published at least three international peer reviewed journal papers on blue economy opportunities and quite a good number of blue economy related technical papers during the international and regional workshop/seminar proceedings. The First Blue Economy National Coordination Workshop has also been organized jointly by the Maritime Affairs Unit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union Delegation in Bangladesh on the 01 July 2018 in Dhaka. Moreover, presentations on blue economy opportunities and constraints in Bangladesh were made at least in four international workshops viz. Second International Blue Economy Dialogue” in Dhaka on 22 – 23 November, 2017, Dhaka, Bangladesh; International Maritime Order in the Indian Ocean Conference, 30 April – 01 May, 2018, Melbourne, Australia; IOC/UNESCO Indian Ocean workshop, 22-25 May 2017, Kuwait City, Kuwait; Moroccan BE strategy international workshop, Rabat, 12 March 2018, Morocco. During last two years, at least eight thematic regional workshops have been organized with the gathering of academics, researchers and relevant stakeholders in Khulna, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar in the field of blue economy opportunities, coastal and marine tourism, marine fisheries and aquaculture, ICZM, MSP, marine and coastal ecosystem services.

Dr. Pierre Failler as Keynote Speaker. BE National Coordination Workshop in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo: Gulam Hussain

BE Regional Workshop: Major Opportunities and Constraints, Chittagong, Bangladesh. Photo: Gulam Hussain.

BE Regional Workshop: Major Opportunities and Constraints, Khulna, Bangladesh. Photo: Gulam Hussain.

Bangladesh Ocean Conference. Photo: Gulam Hussain.

BE Regional Workshop: Marine Fisheries and Aquaculture, Cox’s Bazar, 10 September 2017. Photo: Gulam Hussain.

The first phase of two years is already over but there is a possibility to get second phase blue economy program under RISE project funding of EU Horizon 2020 or any other projects beyond funding opportunities.

About the EU-BGD Experts:

Brief Profile Dr. Pierre Failler

Dr. Pierre Failler is a Professor of Economics and a Research Director at the University of Portsmouth, UK. He served in different positions as the Co-ordinator of International Research and Development programs (EU-DG Research, EU-DG MARE, FAO, UNEP, UNIDO, IUCN, etc.) in fishery; Ocean and Coastal Zone Policy and Governance; international and regional fish trade; marine, coastal biodiversity and ecosystem services; climate change, poverty and food security (Africa, Asia incl., Bangladesh, Europe, Pacific and Caribbean) (28 projects coordinated to date and partner in 10 others). He is the Lead author of 11 strategic plans of actions (at international, regional and national levels) and contributing author of 6 other strategic plans of actions. He has a good working experience in Bangladesh with special emphasis on aquaculture, poverty reduction and food security from 2013 to 2015 within the International EU project ASFPAN. He has carried on the evaluation of more than 15 large projects in Fishery, Climate Change and Biodiversity. He is the author/co-author of about 350 journal articles, book chapters, research reports, consultancy reports, media reports, conference and workshop papers, conference proceedings, etc. He served as one of the organisers of series of conferences on fisheries management, trade, IUU and MCS; ocean and coastal zone management and capacity building. Dr. Pierre is a Member of the joint scientific committee of the EU fishing agreement with Morocco, Senegal and Guinea Bissau and the main financial and economist evaluator of all EU fishing agreement since 2012. He is also Scientific evaluator for many research councils in Europe, North and South America. Recently, Dr. Pierre worked as an Economist (Team Leader), EU-BGD Joint Collaboration on Blue Economy in Bangladesh, Maritime Affairs Unit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Govt. of Bangladesh.

Brief Profile of Dr. M. Gulam Hussain

Dr. M. Gulam Hussain, an expert in Blue Economy, Blue Biotechnology, Fisheries and Aquaculture with PhD in Aquaculture Biotechnology, M.Sc. in Aquaculture Management and B.Sc. in Fisheries (Honors). He completed his PhD in 1992 at the Stirling University, Scotland, UK. Dr. Hussain has more than 35 years of extensive and professional experience in blue economy, coastal and freshwater aquaculture; R & D in South and east Asia regions; fish Hatchery Management, Genetic Stock Improvement and Mass Seed Production. Dr. Hussain is presently working as Country Coordinator for Bangladesh with USAID funded Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish project implemented under Mississippi State University, USA. He was recently involved as a Key Expert: Fisheries and Aquaculture for two years (August 2016 – July 2018) with EU Technical Assistance project EU-BGD Joint Collaboration on Blue Economy implemented under the auspices of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Govt. of Bangladesh and responsible in formulation of Policy Framework for Blue Economy development in Bangladesh. Dr. Hussain worked with WorldFish (2013-2016), Bangladesh and South Asia as Fish Genetic Specialist. He was the former Director General of Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) and served for many years (1986 – 2011) in various capacities of scientific positions and build up a long professional career as an expertise. Dr. Hussain was a UNV Fisheries and Aquaculture Specialist (1981 – 1986) under UNDP posted in Syrian Arab Republic. He has proven track records in R & D projects both nationally and internationally due to his vast wealth of experiences in Bangladesh and other countries viz. Japan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Syria, Thailand and United Kingdom. He is an author and co-author of more than 120 peer-reviewed scientific papers and technical reports, a number books and book chapters in his field.