JBS Vol 12. Num 1. 2010 - Regimes of Environmental Regulations and Governance: Opportunities and Challenges for Shrimp Aquaculture in Bangladesh

The emergence of certification regimes—largely known as privatizing environmental governance—has given rise to new realities for agro-food producers. While the new regimes offer both possibilities and opportunities for a sustainable agro-food system, the producers are confronted with various challenges. Field research on Bangladesh shrimp aquaculture shows that despite various improvements to mitigate human and environmental externalities over the last two decades, the sector still faces numerous challenges locally and globally. The key challenges the industry is facing are the campaigns of some NGOs, non-tariff barriers, labor practices, maintaining  shrimp quality, corruption and malpractice, and viruses and other natural calamities. Commercial shrimp production generates substantial revenues and foreign exchange, as well as employment for millions in Bangladesh. The study suggests that despite facing various challenges, there exist enormous prospects and possibilities for a sustainable shrimp culture in Bangladesh. In the era of environmental certification and market competition, if Bangladesh fails to act, it actually acts to fail.