Offshore & Blue Economy

Kuakata and Salimpur raise Bangladesh's marine protected areas to seven; draft high-seas fishing and mariculture rules and Tk 200 crore for blue economy R&D are also in the works.

The government-to-government deal signed in February 2026 adds an Echo-class hydrographic and oceanographic vessel and creates research opportunities for Bangladeshi universities.

Findings presented in January 2026 also showed abundant jellyfish, plastic at 2,000m and declining large fish; the fisheries adviser warned the Bay could be 'empty' if current fishing continues.

Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir announced the tender in April 2026; the country has two floating terminals off Moheshkhali after a 2023 award to Summit was cancelled in 2024.

The Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute's survey vessel, classed by Bureau Veritas with UK support from Keel Marine, is due for completion in 2028.

Eleven shallow-water and 15 deep-water blocks are on offer in the Bangladesh Offshore Bidding Round 2026 under a new model production sharing contract.

The ban protected mother hilsa during breeding season across 38 districts; enforcement drives involved the Coast Guard and Department of Fisheries.

A UNDP Bangladesh session on 17 September 2026 in Gandhinagar, India, covered aquaculture, coastal resilience, ship breaking and blue finance, citing a $1bn fisheries export target for 2030.