Skip to main content
BBC NEWS / CROSSING CONTINENTS
Graphics VersionBBC Sport Home
News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |
Wednesday, 9 February 2005, 18:56 GMT

Bangladesh's pink gold

Women and children using nets to catch prawns BBC Radio 4's Crossing Continents was broadcast on Thursday, 17 February, 2005, at 1100 GMT.

The programme was repeated on Monday, 21 February, 2005, at 2030 GMT.

Those succulent crustaceans with their trademark tiger stripes have become a crucial part of the economy in Bangladesh.

After the garment industry, prawn farming is now the highest foreign exchange earner.

Millions of kilos are exported to Britain alone every year. But as the cash rolls in, so do allegations of environmental destruction and human rights abuses.

Prawn barons have even been accused of using criminal gangs to push the poor rice farmers off their land.

Lucy Ash travelled to Bangladesh to meet people working in the industry, as well as those campaigning against it.

She asked the authorities what they can do to ensure that the profits from prawns are more equally distributed in one of the poorest countries on earth.

Presenter: Lucy Ash
Producer: Aasiya Lodhi




E-mail this to a friend
Related to this story:
Prawns: Bangladesh's mixed blessing (16 Feb 05 |  Crossing Continents )
Country profile: Bangladesh (04 Jan 05 |  Country profiles )
Bangladesh prawn farmers hit back (20 May 03 |  South Asia )
Prawn fishing 'plundering seas' (19 Feb 03 |  Science/Nature )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
Bangladesh Government
Environmental Justice Foundation
World Fish Centre: Bangladesh
International Food Policy Research Institute
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



SEARCH BBC NEWS: 

News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |

NewsWatch | Notes | Contact us | About BBC News | Profiles | History

^ Back to top | BBC Sport Home | BBC Homepage | Contact us | Help | ©