STAR BUSINESS REPORT

Bangladesh’s shrimp industry is struggling to compete with regional peers despite its strong potential and deep socio-economic importance, largely due to gaps in policy support, according to paper presented at a seminar yesterday.

For decades, shrimp has been vital to rural livelihoods, nutrition, and export earnings, supporting millions across coastal districts through extensive networks of farmers, hatcheries, processors, and exporters.

“Once a major foreign exchange earner, shrimp helped shape Bangladesh’s reputation in the global seafood market. But in recent years, the momentum has stalled,” said Bazlul Haque Khondker, research director of the Policy Research Institute (PRI) of Bangladesh. Export earnings have dropped sharply, even as global demand remains robust, he added.

Khondker made the remarks at a policy dialogue on “Transforming Policy Support for Reviving Bangladesh’s Shrimp Sector” held in Dhaka, jointly organised by PRI and the Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA).

He noted that while competitors like India, Vietnam, and Indonesia have rapidly expanded Vannamei shrimp farming, a higher yielding variety than black tiger shrimp, Bangladesh remains largely absent in Vannamei cultivation except for some pilot projects.