Pearl Culture Experiment: A Climate-Smart Solution for Empowering Fishing Communities in Bangladesh

Youth-led Innovations in Blue Economy

November 28, 2024

a dog in a body of water — Photo 1: Freshwater Pearl Culture

©UNDP Bangladesh

By Ramiz Uddin, PhD, Head of Experimentation, UNDP Accelerator Lab Bangladesh; Nawmee Jessica Howladar, Innovation Associate-Climate Change and Environment, UNDP Accelerator Lab Bangladesh; Samiha Akter Sima, Experimentation and Innovation Associate, UNDP Bangladesh; Shanta Islam, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jahangirnagar University; Sagorika Smriti, Research Associate, BOBP, Institute of Bay of Bengal Studies

Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change due to its topographical region. The communities along with its long sea bank has deep rooted reliance on fishing as their primary livelihood throughout history. The region itself is enriched with countless inland freshwater bodies like ponds, canals and floodplains making the area as larger fish sources.

Why Bangladesh's coastal communities urgently need to prioritize alternative livelihoods over traditional ones?

Kalapara Upazila of Patuakhali, the coastal belt of Bay of Bengal, is home to a population of 23k who primarily depends on fisheries. One of the most climate-vulnerable populations, the coastal fishing communities of Bangladesh's southernmost region face mounting challenges in accessing essential resources for their livelihoods.

In the face of accelerating climate change, its far-reaching impacts are poised to drive stricter environmental regulations. Recognizing this urgency, the Government of Bangladesh has proactively designated multiple Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) within its Exclusive Economic Zone, aiming to safeguard marine ecosystems and mitigate the cascading effects of biodiversity loss on fishing communities. This underscores the critical need to prioritize climate-resilient and sustainable livelihood alternatives to secure both ecological balance and community well-being.

On account of this, UNDP Accelerator lab Bangladesh embarks on the journey to look into innovative sustainable livelihood opportunities at Tulatoli Village of Upazilla, targeting coastal youth, together with the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Local Govt. civil society and NGOs. This journey has been even more thriving by the encouraging participation of the coastal youths who are eager to explore new livelihood opportunities.

letter — Figure 1: Scenario of fisheries in Bangladesh

Pearl culture opening avenues for alternative livelihood

Bangladesh's tropical climate and rich environmental resources make it well-suited for pearl culture, due to the presence of pearl-bearing mussels and abundant freshwater sources. Moreover, pearls produced in summer are especially valuable due to their heavier, thicker nature. Pearl farming offers an eco-friendly, climate resilient, aquaculture-based opportunity for socioeconomic development, global trends showing it as an emerging field due to the variety of pearl colors, low production costs, shorter production periods, and high market demand.

text — Figure 2: Socio-economic prospects of pearl culture

The focus is on promoting pearl culture among the coastal youth, particularly in Kalapara, Patuakhali District, with plenty of freshwater bodies. Pearl farming emerges as a promising alternative for sustainable development in Bangladesh's coastal belt, a region renowned as a vibrant tourist spot.

To start the journey a need assessment survey was completed by Accelerator lab, UNDP Bangladesh with the help of local partners. Community profiling enabled us to identify that the young people would be glad in involving themselves in pearl culture production despite having other livelihood choices too.

Preference of the youth in income generating activities for year around.

(High=***, Medium=**, Low= *)

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Activities

Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

April

May

June

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Fishing

Goat rearing

Poultry farming

Organic Vegetable

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Rice cultivation

Tourism

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Small business

Day labor

Driving

Fish drying

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Fish business

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Pond fish farming

Pearl Culture

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The Community Vulnerability Assessment Report, evidently reveals that the youth are inclined towards sustainable alternative livelihoods over their traditional occupations. During a focus group discussion with the young beneficiaries, the urgency of pursuing sustainable employment was emphasized. An Expert in Natural Resource Management, provided insights on biodiversity conservation, reducing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the critical role of youth in the economy. The Expert also elaborated on the potential of Blue Economy and its contribution to the economy of the country.

a group of people in costumes — Photo 2: Trainers coaching the key steps of pearl culture

In response to this need, a capacity-building session was conducted in the 2^nd week of September of this year, involving 30 youths (1 female/ 29 males) in 3 batches. These participants were selected for coaching to prepare for pearl farming, prioritized as a sustainable income source and future employment. A trainer provided practical instruction on the pearl culture process, covering key steps such as- pond preparation, mussel selection, water treatment, transportation, image setting, and pond installation.

Following the capacity-building session, 15 out of 30 beneficiaries have already started pearl farming within a month, with technical support by the Accelerator Lab. Other 10 beneficiaries are preparing to begin during the upcoming fishing ban period, while rivers, lakes, ponds, and even rooftop water tanks are suitable for mussels, ponds are most fertile for commercial production. In Bangladesh, 2 genera of freshwater mussels are commonly found, with L. marginalis identified as the most suitable for pearl culture due to its body size, survival rate, and pearl production potential. Pearls take 10-12 months to mature and more 6-8 months for commercial harvest, during which regular monitoring and water management are vital for successful cultivation.

a group of people sitting at a table with food — Photo 3: Pearl Farmers

a body of water with trees in the background — Photo 4: Pond Preparation for pearl cultivation

Pearl culture in Bangladesh faces some challenges, such as- lack of awareness about market opportunities is a key challenge hindering the growth of pearl culture in Bangladesh. Not having enough infrastructure support like ideal pond and raw materials supply to this area are also larger objections that question its workability.

Concerning challenges and prospects, the following recommendations can be made to make this sector viable.

To make this industry viable more support is required in- financial, infrastructure and raw materials support by the government, Private partners and NGOs.
Efforts should also focus on training to expand skilled manpower, facilitate breeding for mass seed production, and enhance pearl quality by modernizing pearl culture technologies.
Building strong collaborations between producers and sellers is vital to creating improved market ecosystem for cultured pearls.

table,sitting,cake,small,plate,topped,food,holding,covered,pink,man,group,phone — Photo 5: Pearl farming: a rich avenue for earning

From this point onwards, the Lab’s priority is to monitor trainees throughout the pearl cultivation process until they are ready for commercial harvest. With an aim to make successful outcomes establishing a robust market chain and ensuring feasibility in all way, the lab will be on the way forward to implement this pilot in a broader level.

Looking Ahead: What Pearl Culture can bring for Bangladesh

Recognizing the potential of pearl culture as a multi-billion-dollar industry, Bangladesh government initiated a pearl culture project through the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute from 2014 to 2019, introducing freshwater pearl-growing technology. Globally, the pearl market has grown significantly, with commercial production in countries like China, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, India, and others with China and Japan as the leading producers. Bangladesh also needs to invest more in this sector to catch up with the global market.