Dhaka:Bangladesh aims to increase its annual export earnings from fisheries and fish products to $1 billion by 2030, up from approximately $500 million projected in 2026, as revealed by Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid during a parliamentary session on Tuesday.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the Department of Fisheries has devised a five-year action plan to fulfill the government's election manifesto, setting an ambitious export earnings target to bolster the country's fisheries sector. In a written response to BNP MP Md Mustafizur Rahman Babul from Jamalpur-3, the minister disclosed that Bangladesh generated $504.58 million by exporting 93,530 tonnes of fish and fish products in the 2025-26 fiscal year.
The export earnings showed an increase from $501 million, with 90,620 tonnes exported in FY25, highlighting growth in both volume and value. Data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) and Bangladesh Bank indicates that the fisheries sector experienced positive export growth, despite global economic challenges and adverse market conditions. While overall merchandise export earnings slightly decreased from $48.28 billion in FY25 to $48 billion in FY26, the fisheries sector's contribution to total exports rose from 1.04% to 1.05%.
Bangladesh exports fish and fish products to over 52 countries, with the European Union as the largest market. Other significant markets include China, India, the United States, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Nepal, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, and Qatar. Frozen shrimp, particularly Bagda and Golda varieties, constitute the largest portion of fish exports. The country also exports crabs, eels, snails, mussels, marine fish, cuttlefish, squid, octopus, lobsters, scallops, freshwater fish, catfish, dried fish, fish maw, fish scales, and shrimp shells.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock is implementing various initiatives to expand export markets and plans to intensify these efforts. The fisheries sector significantly contributes to the domestic economy, accounting for 2.53% of the country's GDP and 22.26% of agricultural GDP. The minister emphasized that improvements in infrastructure, policy support, quality production, processing facilities, and value addition could strengthen the fisheries sector as a major non-RMG export driver for Bangladesh.