In place since 2017, a fishing ban along the Naf River in Bangladesh has left fishermen in surrounding communities without a stable source of income. Many have transitioned to seaweed farming because of its simpler techniques, less expensive equipment, and the fact that seaweed species require no feed, grow fast, absorb carbon and are easy to harvest.
The move to seaweed farming has been encouraged as an alternative income-generating stream through ECOFISH II through eco-friendly marine farming. The activity was jointly implemented by WorldFish and Falcon International Ltd, a private entrepreneur, which exports seaweeds to Southeast Asian countries. So far 50 youth have been engaged in the project and soon there will be over 100 youth working to lead the shift to seaweed.