Grameen Fisheries

The fisheries consist of over 400 ponds of various sizes used to grow several different types of fish. 50% of the project is owned by Grameen and the other 50% is owned by the local villagers. Grameen pays for all of the overhead and maintenance costs and the villagers provide the physical labor required to run the fisheries. When it is time to sell the fish at market, a Grameen representative and a villager go together and split the proceeds. The average villager who worked in the fisheries made 15,000 taka last year for their work. These individuals also have other jobs and many are involved in livestock production or agricultural work. There are currently over 3,000 families working in the fisheries and the fisheries are producing around 1,500 metric tons of fish a year. Unfortunately Grameen only has a lease on the fisheries land and the lease is due to run out next year. The Deputy General Manager Akhter Hamid is worried about the future of the project and explained that the success of the project depends on the political climate at the time the lease is up. If the government allows Grameen to release the land for another 25 years, the project will continue to grow and more families will be able to support themselves by working with the project. However, if the government takes over the project, the fisheries will likely be turned into a profit making scheme and the community’s poor will once again be at the mercy of a capitalistic system that makes no room for the undesirable at the top.