Bangladesh Defense
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Modernising data protection laws
Data are what a piece of information is made of. So, it is important that data on any subject are well-preserved and protected; and the information they generate is also well-preserved and protected. In this Digital Age, which started from the mid-20th century and is ongoing, protection of data is
Protecting the deep-sea ecosystem of the Bay
MIR MOSTAFIZUR RAHAMAN
Published :
Jan 13, 2026 00:24
Updated :
Jan 13, 2026 00:24
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The deep sea is often imagined as distant, dark and detached from everyday life. In reality, it is one of the planet's most vital ecological frontiers -- and in the Bay of Bengal it is now under serious threat. Bangladesh's deep-sea ecosystem, once resilient and largely unexplored, is showing unmistakable signs of stress from overfishing, aggressive industrial practices and pervasive plastic pollution. The consequences of ignoring these warning signals could be profound, not only for marine biodiversity but for food security, livelihoods and the long-term health of the ocean itself.
Recent findings by marine researchers paint a troubling picture. The excessive proliferation of jellyfish in deep waters, observed during surveys, is not a natural curiosity but a biological alarm bell. Jellyfish blooms are widely recognised as indicators of ecological imbalance, often emerging when fish populations decline and predators disappear. According to researchers, the phenomenon in the Bay of Bengal is closely linked to overfishing -- particularly the removal of large fish species that once played a critical role in maintaining ecological equilibrium.
Equally alarming is the discovery of plastic waste at depths of up to 2,000 metres. Plastic pollution is no longer confined to coastlines or surface waters; it has infiltrated the deepest reaches of the ocean. This finding underlines a harsh truth: there are now virtually no marine environments untouched by human activity. Microplastics and debris disrupt food chains, introduce toxins into marine organisms and compromise the very foundations of ocean life.
The decline in deep-sea biodiversity is not speculative. A comparison with a 2018 study reveals a sharp reduction in large fish species in deep waters, while stocks in shallow coastal areas are falling at what officials describe as an "alarming" rate. These trends are interconnected. When deep-sea stocks are depleted, fishing pressure intensifies closer to shore, accelerating the collapse of coastal ecosystems and placing small-scale fishers in direct competition with industrial fleets.
At the heart of this crisis lies the rapid expansion of industrial deep-sea fishing. Between 270 and 280 large trawlers are currently operating in Bangladesh's deep waters, around 70 of them using sonar-based targeted fishing. This method, which allows vessels to locate and harvest fish with extreme precision, is highly efficient -- and highly destructive. It strips ecosystems of biomass faster than they can recover, leaving little chance for regeneration.
For large operators, sonar-guided fishing translates into higher profits and shorter voyages. For small-scale fishers, it is an existential threat. Coastal communities depend on shallow waters for their livelihoods, and when industrial fleets vacuum up fish stocks offshore, the ripple effects reach villages and markets alike. As one official warned, if targeted sonar fishing continues unchecked, the Bay of Bengal could be stripped of fish. This is not hyperbole; it is a plausible outcome rooted in ecological reality.
The tragedy is that Bangladesh is not short of warnings -- only of decisive action. Scientists and experts have repeatedly called for urgent, research-driven policy intervention. Yet regulation has lagged behind technological change, allowing aggressive fishing practices to expand largely unchecked. The government now faces a narrow window to act. Decisions on regulating sonar fishing cannot be delayed without risking irreversible damage to marine ecosystems.
Protecting the deep sea requires more than reactive bans or temporary moratoriums. It demands a coherent, science-based governance framework that recognises the deep ocean as a shared ecological asset, not an open-access resource to be exploited until exhaustion. This means setting clear limits on fishing effort, restricting or banning destructive technologies, and enforcing compliance through monitoring and penalties.
However, regulation alone will not suffice without knowledge. One of the most critical weaknesses exposed by the current crisis is Bangladesh's failure to strengthen its marine research capacity. Despite having a vast maritime area, the country has invested relatively little in sustained deep-sea research. Baseline data on species diversity, population dynamics and ecosystem health remain fragmented and incomplete. Without robust scientific evidence, policy decisions risk being reactive, politicised or ineffective.
Deep-sea research is expensive, but ignorance is costlier. Investing in research vessels, oceanographic surveys and long-term monitoring programmes is not a luxury; it is a prerequisite for responsible stewardship. Partnerships with regional and international research institutions could accelerate capacity building, while training a new generation of marine scientists would ensure that expertise is homegrown and sustained.
Plastic pollution presents another challenge that cannot be ignored. The presence of plastic waste at extreme depths exposes the inadequacy of current waste management systems on land. Rivers act as conveyor belts, carrying discarded plastics from cities and towns directly into the sea. Tackling deep-sea pollution therefore requires an integrated approach -- reducing plastic production, improving waste collection and recycling, and enforcing regulations on industrial discharge.
The Bay of Bengal is particularly vulnerable because it is semi-enclosed and heavily influenced by riverine inputs. What is dumped upstream eventually settles downstream, often far from sight but not from impact. Plastic fragments ingested by deep-sea organisms re-enter the food chain, with unknown but potentially serious implications for human health.
There is also a broader moral dimension to the deep-sea crisis. The ocean floor is one of the last frontiers on Earth, home to species and ecosystems that have evolved over millennia. To degrade these environments for short-term gain is to impoverish future generations. The benefits of deep-sea exploitation accrue to a few, while the costs -- ecological collapse, loss of livelihoods, food insecurity -- are borne by many.
Bangladesh's experience reflects a global pattern. Across the world, deep-sea ecosystems are being opened up to industrial extraction faster than science can keep pace. But Bangladesh has an opportunity to chart a different course -- one that balances economic needs with ecological responsibility. The country's maritime boundary, secured through international arbitration, was a hard-won achievement. Preserving what lies within it should be treated with equal seriousness.
A sustainable future for the Bay of Bengal depends on political will. The government must act swiftly to regulate sonar-based fishing, limit the number and capacity of deep-sea trawlers, and prioritise the protection of vulnerable ecosystems. At the same time, it must invest in research, strengthen enforcement and engage coastal communities as partners in conservation.
Small-scale fishers are not the enemies of sustainability; they are its natural allies. Their survival depends on healthy oceans, and their knowledge of local ecosystems is invaluable. Policies that marginalise them in favour of industrial fleets are not only unjust but environmentally self-defeating.
The warning signs from the deep sea are already visible -- jellyfish blooms, vanishing fish stocks, plastic at abyssal depths. The question is whether they will be heeded. Protecting the deep-sea ecosystem of the Bay of Bengal is not simply an environmental imperative; it is a test of governance, foresight and intergenerational responsibility. If Bangladesh fails this test, the cost will be measured not only in lost species, but in lost futures.
MIR MOSTAFIZUR RAHAMAN
Published :
Jan 13, 2026 00:24
Updated :
Jan 13, 2026 00:24
Share this news
The deep sea is often imagined as distant, dark and detached from everyday life. In reality, it is one of the planet's most vital ecological frontiers -- and in the Bay of Bengal it is now under serious threat. Bangladesh's deep-sea ecosystem, once resilient and largely unexplored, is showing unmistakable signs of stress from overfishing, aggressive industrial practices and pervasive plastic pollution. The consequences of ignoring these warning signals could be profound, not only for marine biodiversity but for food security, livelihoods and the long-term health of the ocean itself.
Recent findings by marine researchers paint a troubling picture. The excessive proliferation of jellyfish in deep waters, observed during surveys, is not a natural curiosity but a biological alarm bell. Jellyfish blooms are widely recognised as indicators of ecological imbalance, often emerging when fish populations decline and predators disappear. According to researchers, the phenomenon in the Bay of Bengal is closely linked to overfishing -- particularly the removal of large fish species that once played a critical role in maintaining ecological equilibrium.
Equally alarming is the discovery of plastic waste at depths of up to 2,000 metres. Plastic pollution is no longer confined to coastlines or surface waters; it has infiltrated the deepest reaches of the ocean. This finding underlines a harsh truth: there are now virtually no marine environments untouched by human activity. Microplastics and debris disrupt food chains, introduce toxins into marine organisms and compromise the very foundations of ocean life.
The decline in deep-sea biodiversity is not speculative. A comparison with a 2018 study reveals a sharp reduction in large fish species in deep waters, while stocks in shallow coastal areas are falling at what officials describe as an "alarming" rate. These trends are interconnected. When deep-sea stocks are depleted, fishing pressure intensifies closer to shore, accelerating the collapse of coastal ecosystems and placing small-scale fishers in direct competition with industrial fleets.
At the heart of this crisis lies the rapid expansion of industrial deep-sea fishing. Between 270 and 280 large trawlers are currently operating in Bangladesh's deep waters, around 70 of them using sonar-based targeted fishing. This method, which allows vessels to locate and harvest fish with extreme precision, is highly efficient -- and highly destructive. It strips ecosystems of biomass faster than they can recover, leaving little chance for regeneration.
For large operators, sonar-guided fishing translates into higher profits and shorter voyages. For small-scale fishers, it is an existential threat. Coastal communities depend on shallow waters for their livelihoods, and when industrial fleets vacuum up fish stocks offshore, the ripple effects reach villages and markets alike. As one official warned, if targeted sonar fishing continues unchecked, the Bay of Bengal could be stripped of fish. This is not hyperbole; it is a plausible outcome rooted in ecological reality.
The tragedy is that Bangladesh is not short of warnings -- only of decisive action. Scientists and experts have repeatedly called for urgent, research-driven policy intervention. Yet regulation has lagged behind technological change, allowing aggressive fishing practices to expand largely unchecked. The government now faces a narrow window to act. Decisions on regulating sonar fishing cannot be delayed without risking irreversible damage to marine ecosystems.
Protecting the deep sea requires more than reactive bans or temporary moratoriums. It demands a coherent, science-based governance framework that recognises the deep ocean as a shared ecological asset, not an open-access resource to be exploited until exhaustion. This means setting clear limits on fishing effort, restricting or banning destructive technologies, and enforcing compliance through monitoring and penalties.
However, regulation alone will not suffice without knowledge. One of the most critical weaknesses exposed by the current crisis is Bangladesh's failure to strengthen its marine research capacity. Despite having a vast maritime area, the country has invested relatively little in sustained deep-sea research. Baseline data on species diversity, population dynamics and ecosystem health remain fragmented and incomplete. Without robust scientific evidence, policy decisions risk being reactive, politicised or ineffective.
Deep-sea research is expensive, but ignorance is costlier. Investing in research vessels, oceanographic surveys and long-term monitoring programmes is not a luxury; it is a prerequisite for responsible stewardship. Partnerships with regional and international research institutions could accelerate capacity building, while training a new generation of marine scientists would ensure that expertise is homegrown and sustained.
Plastic pollution presents another challenge that cannot be ignored. The presence of plastic waste at extreme depths exposes the inadequacy of current waste management systems on land. Rivers act as conveyor belts, carrying discarded plastics from cities and towns directly into the sea. Tackling deep-sea pollution therefore requires an integrated approach -- reducing plastic production, improving waste collection and recycling, and enforcing regulations on industrial discharge.
The Bay of Bengal is particularly vulnerable because it is semi-enclosed and heavily influenced by riverine inputs. What is dumped upstream eventually settles downstream, often far from sight but not from impact. Plastic fragments ingested by deep-sea organisms re-enter the food chain, with unknown but potentially serious implications for human health.
There is also a broader moral dimension to the deep-sea crisis. The ocean floor is one of the last frontiers on Earth, home to species and ecosystems that have evolved over millennia. To degrade these environments for short-term gain is to impoverish future generations. The benefits of deep-sea exploitation accrue to a few, while the costs -- ecological collapse, loss of livelihoods, food insecurity -- are borne by many.
Bangladesh's experience reflects a global pattern. Across the world, deep-sea ecosystems are being opened up to industrial extraction faster than science can keep pace. But Bangladesh has an opportunity to chart a different course -- one that balances economic needs with ecological responsibility. The country's maritime boundary, secured through international arbitration, was a hard-won achievement. Preserving what lies within it should be treated with equal seriousness.
A sustainable future for the Bay of Bengal depends on political will. The government must act swiftly to regulate sonar-based fishing, limit the number and capacity of deep-sea trawlers, and prioritise the protection of vulnerable ecosystems. At the same time, it must invest in research, strengthen enforcement and engage coastal communities as partners in conservation.
Small-scale fishers are not the enemies of sustainability; they are its natural allies. Their survival depends on healthy oceans, and their knowledge of local ecosystems is invaluable. Policies that marginalise them in favour of industrial fleets are not only unjust but environmentally self-defeating.
The warning signs from the deep sea are already visible -- jellyfish blooms, vanishing fish stocks, plastic at abyssal depths. The question is whether they will be heeded. Protecting the deep-sea ecosystem of the Bay of Bengal is not simply an environmental imperative; it is a test of governance, foresight and intergenerational responsibility. If Bangladesh fails this test, the cost will be measured not only in lost species, but in lost futures.
