From species knowledge to marine protection: Engaging fishers and coastal communities through educational outreach exhibitions to promote shark and ray conservation in Bangladesh

Title : From species knowledge to marine protection: Engaging fishers and coastal communities through educational outreach exhibitions to promote shark and ray conservation in Bangladesh

Abstract:

Bangladesh’s coastal waters support more than 100 shark and ray species, many threatened by overfishing, incidental capture in non-selective gear, illegal trade, and limited knowledge of species-specific legal protection. Because these species grow slowly and produce few young, effective conservation requires both area-based protection and informed community participation.

The Wildlife Conservation Society Bangladesh developed Ocean Guardian, a theory-of-change-guided communication programme linking shark and ray biology with practical conservation action. Exhibitions use panels, maps, games, specimens, discovery activities and demonstrations to explain ecological roles, nursery habitats, permitted and prohibited fishing gear, CITES and Bangladesh Wildlife Act protections, illegal trade in fins, skins and mobulid gill plates, and safe handling and release. Between 2021 and 2025, eight Ocean Guardian and 38 Healthy Ocean–Healthy People exhibitions reached more than 60,000 fishers, traders, community members and government officials at 15 coastal sites. Pre- and post-visit interviews with 320 participants recorded improvements of over 40% in general knowledge, 68% in identifying protected sharks and rays, and 30% in understanding conservation threats.

The programme is now being linked to participatory management of Bangladesh’s marine protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures. This includes improved management of 4,926 km² of existing MPAs and proposed protection of 2,701 km² through the Blue Belt OECM. Communication on boundaries, zoning and regulations will be complemented by bycatch-mitigation training, Fisheries Conservation Groups, youth Blue Guard teams and MPA management committees.

The results suggest that interactive, species-specific communication can strengthen conservation compliance and connect biodiversity knowledge with sustainable fisheries, community governance and livelihood resilience. This approach offers a scalable model for socially legitimate marine conservation in high-pressure coastal environments.

Keywords: shark and ray conservation; marine protected areas; OECM; conservation communication; bycatch; CITES; Bangladesh; sustainable fisheries.

Biography:

Md. Rasel Mia is a marine conservation social scientist and Senior Officer, Training and Education, at WCS Bangladesh. He designs and leads mixed-methods research on fisheries–wildlife interactions, including Knowledge–Attitude–Practice surveys, focus group discussions and cetacean line-transect distance sampling. He led the Ocean Guardian and Healthy Ocean–Healthy People exhibition programme, communicating shark, ray and marine protected area conservation to coastal fishers, traders and government officials, and co-designed a national tortoise and freshwater turtle demand-reduction campaign. He holds an M.Sc. in Zoology from Jagannath University and is an IUCN Red List assessor of Spinner dolphin and Killer whale.