Environmental Policies and Ethical Issues in Aquatic Biodiversity Conservation in Bangladesh

Abstract

The goal of the research is to examine the present state of environment and Environmental laws and policies and it’s implementing procedure and practices regarding aquatic biodiversity conservation and its sustainable development for future generation. The research objectives are intended to examine the Environmental laws and policies, present legal practices in implementing development projects, adverse impacts of fishery development projects and ethical issues regarding implementing process etc. Environmental politics is a sensitive issue in the present world which deals with environmental policy at all levels in a society. It means that environmental politics, like all political activities, is the work of people with different agenda, constituencies and patterns of development, concerning environment, translating or reinterpreting global doctrines and approaches into local or national development in environmental contexts. The flows of ideas, experiences and policies surely help to take initiatives to the flows of resources and energy and ecosystems, as different actors seek out particular niches in the diverse landscapes of science and technology and of economics, culture and politics. Environmental politics is one of the most important factors for degrading and depleting environment and aquatic biodiversity. For this reasons Bangladesh has already lost many wetlands and water bodies that are the safe shelter for fresh water fishes. Besides human occupies wetland for shelter and agriculture and ruin it in many ways for their present needs. So it was necessary to investigate existing laws and policies to find out the deficiencies and inappropriateness which are creating conflicting issues among the laws and policies and that is called environmental politics occurred in different level in among different ministries and government agencies. In addition, a thorough investigation was also needed to see why and how these aspects are working to manipulate the formulating and implementing process of the laws and policies regarding environment. There are also needs to find out the violation of code of conduct or manuals for formulating and implementing the laws and policies, development projects and its implementation which causes degradation of environment especially of fresh water fishery in Bangladesh. Mainly qualitative data has been used for the research work. Required data come from primary and secondary sources are used for this research. Data from secondary sources have been collected through deskwork and content analysis and in-depth interview from environmental experts. Environment is a comprehensive idea. It consists of various components. The ministry of environment and forest are responsible to manage, develop and conserve of all environmental components. On the other hand, different ministry and departments have been established to protect different component of environment that none can destroy whole or a part of environmental components. Each ministry makes law and policy from their own view to protect their related components. For this reason, there is no integration and cooperation amongst their laws and policies. It is called policy conflict. To resolve these conflicting issues concern authority formulated the Environment Policy in 1992 and to achieve this policy authority also developed Environmental Action Plan in 1992 to resolve the implements. It is divided into 17 sectors. Main aims of each sector are to protect surrounding environment. But, it is found in the analysis of activities of each sector that there is no integration and coordination among the plans as well as with other relevant laws and policies. Not only that it conflicts with the Environmental Conservation Act 1995, Environmental rules 1997, Protection and Conservation of Fish Act 1950, Protection and Conservation of Fish rules 1985 and National Fisheries Policy 1998. As a result it could not play vital role to protect aquatic biodiversity. Over all it is said that it would not be possible to protect aquatic biodiversity especially fresh water fish and fish species through this Policy and Action Plan. However, the department of fisheries is trying to develop and conserve indigenous fish species, fish habitat and aquatic environment by implementing some projects countrywide. Main aim of these fishery projects is to increase production of fish and income of fisher community. It is assumed that after completion of such projects aquatic environment would be developed in the whole country and ensures sustainable development in fisheries that is the expectation of Fishery department. But it is observed that, these projects were not suitable for sustaining of fish especially indigenous fish species. Because, most of these projects are suitable for fast growing alien fish species and it degrades aquatic environment and ecosystems. So, it is created conflicts among the Protection and Conservation of Fish Act, 1950, National Fisheries Policy, 1998, and Environmental Conservation Act 1995. There is no code of conduct to implement the laws and policies related to environment in Bangladesh. In recent years Bangladesh’s environment has undergone serious deterioration. In many respect the situation has reached in alarming situation which made Bangladesh particularly in vulnerable to environment damage. However, environmental degrade is not inevitable. The experience of several developing countries has shown that it is possible to achieve economic growth without destroying the environment. There are many encouraging signs. Several civic and voluntary organizations have emerged and are working to protect environment as their goal. There have been specific environmental issue based movements too. These initiatives and movements have already produced some positive results. It is now necessary to build on these successes enlist new forces and build up a strong social movement for protecting Bangladesh’s environment. So, environmental issues need to be dealt with the participation of all concerned with the government and citizens at the relevant levels. Unfortunately, it is almost absent in Bangladesh. However, the environmental experts and civil societies of Bangladesh most often are pressing the government to adopt sustainable policy, law and remove policy conflicts or called environmental politics (inter ministry and inter departmental conflicts or politics), which causes serious degradation of the environment in Bangladesh. The Government of Bangladesh has taken some policies to protect environment but most of which are not favorable to environmental development, rather cause deterioration of the environment. It is observed that environment has degraded in our country in every sector. Various causes are liable for environmental degradation. There is no any natural cause that degrades environment. All causes are created by human being. Because human beings destroy river, pond, khal, beel, lake, forest, landscape etc., which has adverse impact on environment especially aquatic biodiversity. There are insufficient policy options to resolve the existing conflicts among the laws and policies. So Government should initiate measures to resolve these conflicts among the laws and policies and have to make suitable law for sustainable environment. In that case Government should take advice from environmental specialists and make appropriate law and policy for environment especially aquatic environment. And also Government and non-government organization can play strong role to protect aquatic biodiversity.