The Hilsa Conservation Foundation would act as a conservation trust fund (CTF). The CTF would provide some financial stability to Bangladesh’s overall hilsa fishery management programme, the efficacy of which has been impacted by lack of resources. A successful CTF would provide a source of finance that remains stable and reliable even in times of national economic or political shock, for supporting both ecological and social activities related to hilsa fishery management, such as BBI and BBII respectively.
A multi-stakeholder workshop was held in 2015 for establishing the primary objectives of a hilsa CTF: these included sustainability of conservation schemes, wide coverage of fishers adversely impacted by hilsa fisheries management activities, equitable distribution of benefits from hilsa conservation, actions to promote restoration and conservation, and development of alternative livelihood activities for hilsa fishers. Participation from the outset is key to ensuring CTFs have context-specific, relevant and appropriate objectives.
- To be successful, CTF’s must adhere to certain design criteria. This may include a detailed feasibility analysis, the establishment of a clear focus and conservation value, a participatory governance structure, and defined monitoring and evaluation standards
- There are a range of financing options available for CTFs – this could include fish export tax revenue, beneficiary fees, drawing on existing climate funds, drawing on a deposit into a fund with fair dividend rate, etc. Which mechanism is appropriate is context-dependent
- Think carefully about what kind of institutional mechanisms would ensure good governance in CTFs – e.g. a diverse board of governors (including high level government, NGO, fishing associations, the private sector) could help insulate a CTF from political agendas