| Grantee | James Cook University ↗ |
| Location | Bangladesh |
| Grant Amount | $25,000 |
| Duration | 18 months |
| Type of Grant | Small |
Effective coastal and marine fisheries management in Bangladesh is limited by low enforcement capacity and a high dependence of a large human population on these resources for food, livelihoods and economic growth. Overfishing, driven in part by international trade demand for shark and ray fins, skins, meat and cartilage, has resulted in 78% of confirmed or suspected shark species and 87% of ray species in Bangladesh being threatened with extinction. By collating results from interventions undertaken over the past five years to improve shark and ray conservation in Bangladesh, supporting national CITES authorities in fulfilling their monitoring, enforcement and reporting mandates, and improving the traceability of exported sharks and rays through policy amendments, this project will strengthen collaboration and compliance across government sectors and institutions to improve shark and ray conservation and fisheries management in Bangladesh.