This a detailed report on how Mass media can influence and play a significant role in Fisheries extension

1. ROLE OF MASS MEDIA ON FISHERIES EXTENSION
INTRODUCTION
Bangladesh is a small riverine country in South Asia. The country is crisscrossed with hundreds
of rivers. The climate of Bangladesh is unique for aquaculture and fisheries resources management.
Bangladesh is considered one of the most suitable regions for fisheries in the world, with the
world's largest flooded wetland and the third largest aquatic biodiversity in Asia after China and
India.
Fisheries and aquatic resources are economically, ecologically, culturally and aesthetically
important to the nation. In Bangladesh fisheries is one of the major sub-sectors of agriculture,
which plays a dominant role in nutrition, employment, earning foreign currency and other areas of
economy and is second only to agriculture in the overall economy of the country.
Bangladesh is very rich in water resources and in fact the country is crisscrossed by various types
of water bodies such as rivers, lake, hoar, boar, estuaries, which all together offers tremendous
opportunities for fisheries development. All these water bodies have often immense scope and
potentiality for augmenting fish production and contribute to livelihood support of the people
living around these water bodies.
Bangladesh produced 4.503 million tons of fish during 2019-20 from inland and marine water
bodies and fisheries sector accounts for 4.4 percent of Bangladesh GDP, 22.8 percent of agriculture
sector and 2.5 percent of total export earnings and the recent and rapid development of aquaculture
sector has boosted Bangladesh to 5th in world aquaculture production
FISHERIES EXTENSION
Extension is basically organized communicative efforts by which a individual of agency tries to
bring about changes in the knowledge, attitude, skills and behavior of a client population, in order
to reach one of more objectives. Extension in stretch in rural areas beyond the limits of the
educational institution and its main aim is human resource development.
In case of ‘fisheries extension’, it describes all organized communication efforts by which DoF
tries to bring about changes in the knowledge, attitudes, skills and behavior of a client population
(fish farmers, fishers and other stakeholders) in order to reach one or more objectives that have
been established within the framework of an overall fisheries development policy in Bangladesh.
In this regards DoF usages varieties of extension communication approaches like individual
contact, group contact and mass contact (electronic and print media).

2. IMPACT OF MASS MEDIA
Aquaculture is becoming increasingly dependent on information hence, accessibility to
information is necessary and a vital resource for aquaculture development. To successfully
improve aquaculture production, grow revenue, create more employments and ensure the fisheries
sector achieve its aim in furtherance to improving rural and even national development.
And the communication system adopted in implementing various aquaculture programs. The mass
media are the very key communication channels that plays an important role in creating positive
changes. Mass media are important constituents required for effective technologies transfer to the
farmers to enhance production in aquaculture.
But for farmers to profit from such knowledge, they must have access to mass media and acquire
knowledge on how to effectively use the information in their farming practices. Extension agencies
utilize various media in transferring information which enhanced agricultural technologies
to the farmers.
Press, Radio, Television, Posters, Internet, Mobile are acclaimed to be the most effective media
for diffusing the scientific knowledge to the masses. In Bangladesh where literacy level is low, the
choice of communication media has its vital importance. In that regard, Television & Radio are
significant as they transfer modern aquaculture technology to “literate and illiterate” both kind of
farmers even in rural backward areas of the country within short time.
Mass media channels are valuable in getting across agricultural information to an extensive
audience in the shortest possible time. They are important as channels through which
agricultural information get to farmers, as well as constituting means of delivering
notification to farmers on latest developments or emergencies. They are also vital in
motivating farmers to build interests in latest ideas and practices.
The mass media carries out this function through its agenda-setting power for critical topics,
knowledge transfer, forming opinions and behavior change.

3. To a large extent, mass media serves as a veritable instrument for information dissemination in
agriculture. Agricultural extension/information delivery is also a process of communicating
improved skills, better practices, new innovations, latest technologies and essential knowledge to
farmers.
ELECTRONIC MEDIA IN FISHERES EXTENSION
Awareness creation is the first step towards the process of adoption. Electronic & print media plays
a very significant roles in awareness creation about new technologies in fisheries among farmers.
Electronic media spreads agricultural technologies to the farmers faster than other form of mass
media.
Chief amongst them, the radio, it is seen as the most preferred medium of mass media in
Bangladesh. Radio programs are usually timely and capable of reaching audiences in very remote
areas. The unavailability of infrastructures such as roads, electricity, portable water does not
directly hinder radio signals. Also, illiteracy is not a barrier to radio messages since such messages
can be presented in different local languages. It is perhaps, because of these advantages radio
possesses that many institutions give high importance to it, as a medium to reach farmers.
Amongst other sources of information, radio and TV also depicts value for dissemination of
information. Television is also an important broadcast medium for this function. The latent value
of TV as a medium for information dissemination should be tapped in to for the benefits of farmers.
THE PRINT MEDIA IN FISHERIES EXTENSION
Amongst several mass media channels, newspapers and magazines are two commonly found print
media. They play an important role in the communication of information about aquaculture
amongst the “literate farmers”. The increase in literacy rate in the country offers new prospects for
putting into use the print medium of mass communication. It is relatively inexpensive, and
individuals can decide to buy and read at their convenience.

4. It is sometime called permanent medium because the messages are imprinted permanently with
good storage value which makes printed matters suitable for future reference and research.
Farm publications have proven to be effective means for information dissemination, especially to
introduce new technologies. Printing helps to preserve the technologies in the form of
books/booklets, magazines, newspapers and brochures.
DIGITAL MEDIA IN AQUACULTURE EXTENSION
The Internet has transformed the world into a global village as it has reduced the distances of
information exchange. The development in technologies like the internet has aided in creating
opportunities, accessibility and solutions to pertinent and critical issues. Electronic mailing and
websites have increased the scope of media by increasing the sphere of access. Therefore, the need
to exploit the interactivity power of the internet in a way for expansion of extension activities.
Telephones have increased the chances of reaching individuals living even in remote areas. It
contributes to developing farmers’ linkages with other individuals including extension experts.
Telephone Help Lines facilitate the mechanism for getting information/assistance regarding
people’s problems by using toll free numbers. In case of Bangladesh, “the toll-free help line
number for fish farmers are”- 16123. Any farmer can have information on agriculture, fisheries
and livestock just by calling the number.
Mobile phones have provided multi-dimensional benefits to rural individuals and have helped in
interaction, accessibility, and quick/timely information exchange.
But on the other hand, despite possessing critical importance, internet has faced various obstacles
like network infrastructure, language barrier, and illiteracy. Because computer illiteracy and lack
of interest pose a major obstacle in using the internet amongst farmers in Bangladesh.

5. OBSTACLES IN EXTENSION SERVICE DELIVERY
There are numerous obstacles to the utilization of mass media in extension service delivery. These
include:
Illiteracy: Literacy has not spread to all part of Bangladesh, especially those in the rural areas.
Illiteracy can serve as a hindrance to adoption of aquaculture technologies. Individuals those
are functionally illiterate and constitute a major obstacle to effective flow of information or
media communicated messages.
The illiterates cannot be reached via the print media sometimes except they are produced in
their local dialects.
Message related challenges: The message is the actual physical product of the communicator.
The messages are the contents, the notions, feelings, ideas, that are sent across to people, in a
bid to influence them. But the difficulty is the use of accurate codes and symbols in
communicating messages to farmers.
What is needed is the use of ‘accurate words in a dialect’ used in communicating to an
audience. The individuals, particularly those in the rural areas are easily influenced if
communicated messages are in tandem with their pre-existing knowledges or attitudes.
Messages should reflect the culture, attitudes, belief of the community. The messages should
carry attention-commanding features such as bold headings, deliberately chosen typography,
shapes and graphics for it to be effective.
Use of English language: Another problem of development communication has to do with
the fact that communication in English language, instead of vernacular language. Vernacular
media offers one clear way of bridging the gap between the urban and the rural, in that they
publish in the local language and so naturally to the illiterate, rural and urban indigenes to
which they are targeted.
Irregularities of power supply is another obstacle which hampers consistent flow of agricultural
information in the radio and television sets is also a major problem associated with the use of mass

6. media for agricultural information dissemination in Bangladesh. Another problem with radio is
that it is limited by its inability to convey comprehensive, intricate aquaculture information and
when used alone, is limited for teaching since listeners can not refer to what they have heard over
the radio and cannot see what is being described.
REFERENCES
(PDF) Role of Mass Media in Dissemination of Agricultural Technology among the Farmers of Jaffarabad
District of Balochistan (researchgate.net)
View of THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MASS MEDIA IN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AND
DEVELOPMENT (afropolitanjournals.com)