Bangladesh’s 3.5 million small-scale fishers spread across coastal districts, char lands, estuaries, and major river systems form the backbone of national fish production. They contribute over 85% of the country’s total marine and inland catch, supply affordable protein, and safeguard ecological knowledge passed through generations.
Yet these communities face intensifying climate shocks, fishing bans, rising debt cycles, and marginalization from policy or decision-making tables. Women fishers mostly remain invisible in statistics carry the burden of postharvest work, unpaid care, and income instability during bans.
COAST Foundation’s work over 20+ years has focused on justice, dignity, and resilience of these fishing communities through leadership development, rights mobilization, livelihood diversification, and policy advocacy.
This document presents the COAST’s key achievements, impacts, challenges, lessons, and way forward of these collective initiatives for traditional fisherfolk in Bangladesh.
