The Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP) is an intergovernmental organization established to promote sustainable coastal fisheries development and management in the Bay of Bengal region. It is headquartered in Chennai, India and governed by a tri-layered structure including a Governing Council. BOBP's mission is to facilitate long-term development and utilization of coastal fisheries through responsible practices and environmentally sound management programs. It achieves its goals through activities like training, technology transfer, regional information sharing, and promoting women's participation in fisheries.

2. Introduction
• The Bay of Bengal Program (BOBP) is an
Inter-Governmental Organization.
• It mandated to enhance cooperation among
member countries, other countries and
organizations in the region and provide
technical and management advisory services
for sustainable coastal fisheries development
and management in the Bay of Bengal region.

3. • Bay of Bengal Programme was signed on 26 April
2003 in Chennai, India (with the Maldives signing the
Agreement on 21 May 2003).
• The Agreement evolved from the U.N. Food and
Agriculture Organization’s (“FAO”).
• In the October 1999 Phuket Resolution, representatives
from the fishery agencies of Bangladesh, India,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Thailand
recommended the establishment of an
Intergovernmental Organization for Fisheries
Development and Management in the Bay of Bengal
Region.

5. BOBP Mission
BOBP mission is to promote, facilitate and secure the
long-term development and utilization of coastal
fisheries resources of the Bay of Bengal based on
responsible fishing practices and environmentally
sound management programs.

6. BOBP Objectives
• Increase awareness and knowledge of the needs, benefits
and practices of coastal fisheries management.
• Enhance skills through training and education.
• Transfer appropriate technologies and techniques for
development of small-scale fisheries.
• Establish a regional information networking.
• Promote women's participation in coastal fisheries
development at all levels.

7. Organizational Structure

8. Organizational structure
 The BOBP-IGO is a tri-layered organisation headed by
the Governing Council.
 The Governing Council functions through the BOBP-
IGO Secretariat located in Chennai, India.
 The Secretariat is headed by the director, appointed by
the Governing Council and professional and
administrative staffs.

9. To help the Governing Council and the Secretariat
in designing work plans and evaluation of
performances, the Governing Council appointed the
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).
Technical advisory committee (TAC)
The TAC meets once a year to draw up and
evaluate the work plan and submits its
recommendations to the Governing Council for
review.

10. Agreements
Article 1
 Establishment
Article 2
 Definitions
Article 3
 Objectives
Article 4
 Functions
Article 5
 Seat

11. Contd.,
Article 6
 Membership
Article 7
 Rights and obligations of members
Article 8
 The governing council
Article 9
 Functions of the governing council
Article 10
 Observers

12. Contd.,
Article 11
– Technical advisory committee
Article 12
– Director and staff
Article 13
– Finances
Article 14
– Legal status, privileges and immunities
Article 15
– Co-operation with donor governments and other organizations and
institutions

13. Contd.,
Article 16
Signature, ratification, accession, entry into force and
admission
Article 17
Amendment
Article 18
Withdrawal and dissolution
Article 19
Interpretation and settlement of disputes
Article 20
Depositary

14. Achievements
 Training programme – essential -developing capacity in the
ecosystem approach to fisheries management, 11-16 august
2014, Chennai, India.
 Trial run of solar energy use in fishing boat, 30 November
2012 Chinnamuttom, Kanyakumari district.
 Training on solar unit assembling, 19-20 august 2013,
Chennai, India.
 Shark consultation meeting, 14 July 2013, thoothur,
Kanyakumari district.
 Second bi-national stakeholder consultation on sustaining the
gulf of Mannar ecosystem and its resources, 18-20 June 2012,
Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

16. Cont.…
 Fifth regional training course on the code of conduct for
responsible fisheries, 19 January-02 February 2013, Chennai,
India.
 Regional workshop on fisheries in areas beyond national
jurisdiction, 4-5 march 2013, Chennai, India.
 Regional workshop on deep sea fishing – harvesting of
oceanic tuna and allied resources, 17 July 2012, chinnathurai,
Kanyakumari district.
 Regional workshop on best practices for instruments and
methods of ocean observation, 19-21 November 2012,
chennai, India.

17. Project Name Bay of Bengal
Programme
Country India
Location Tuticorin, Tamil
Nadu
Setting Fishing Harbour
Category Craft & Gear and
Fishing Practices
Human Content Male Action Scene
Period 2005
Credit/ Author BOBP/ Y S Yadava
Object Type JPEG
Original Print Digital
Contd.,

18. Contd.,
 National strategic consultation on green technology for fisheries sector, 12-
13 July 2013, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari district.
 Association of deep sea fishers celebrating 20 years of existence, 16 & 18
July 2012, thoothur, Kanyakumari district.
 Wild Shrimp Brood Stock Management Meeting, 29 September 2013,
Chittagong, Bangladesh.
 Eighth Meeting Of The Technical Advisory Committee, 25-26 September
2013, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
 Ninth Meeting Of The Technical Advisory Committee, 21-22 December
2015, Chennai, India.

19. Contd.,
Project Name Bay of Bengal
Programme
Country India
Location Visakhapatnam
Setting Dry Fish Market
Category Post-Harvest
and Marketing
Human Content Fisherwoman
Period 2007
Credit/ Author BOBP/ S
Jayaraj
Object Type JPEG
Original Print Digital

20. Contd.,
 Seventh meeting of the technical advisory committee, 27-28 august 2012,
Colombo, Sri Lanka.
 Stakeholder meeting for creation of awareness on group insurance scheme
for small-scale fishers, 28 September 2013, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
 Sixth regional training course on the code of conduct for responsible
fisheries, 20 september-02 October 2014, chennai, India.
 Workshop on climate change and livelihoods in the gulf of Mannar,
Tamilnadu, 18 June 2013, chennai, India.
 Workshop on welfare measures for marine fisher folk in Tamilnadu –
design and implementation issues, 17 June 2013, chennai, India.

21. Contd.,
 National strategic workshop on governance of marine small-scale fisheries
in Sri Lanka, 30-31 august 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
 National strategic workshop on governance of marine small-scale fisheries
in India, 10-11 January 2013, chennai, India.
 National strategic workshop on governance of marine small-scale fisheries
in Bangladesh, 29-30 April 2012, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
 National workshop on early mortality syndrome (EMS)/ acute
hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome (AHPNS) of cultured shrimps, 20-21
January 2014, chennai, Tamil Nadu.
 Review the status of website ‘atolls of Maldives’, 25-30 December 2015 –
members from MOFA, government of Maldives visit to Chennai.

22. Contd.,
 Eighth meeting of the governing council, 11-12 September 2012, Dhaka,
Bangladesh.
 Terminal workshop of the FAO technical cooperation programme on
fisheries management for sustainable livelihoods project, 29 January 2016,
chennai, Tamilnadu.
 FAO-TCP thematic workshop on development of strategy and action plan
for fishers’ livelihood enhancement and diversification, 07-08 January
2015, chennai, Tamilnadu.
 FAO-TCP thematic workshop on fisheries policy framework for Tamilnadu
& Puducherry, 29-30 December 2014, Puducherry.
 FAO-TCP workshop on development of strategies for enhancement of
knowledge management in Tamilnadu and Puducherry to support the
implementation of FIMSUL 2 project, 08 November 2014, chennai,
Tamilnadu.

23. Contd.,
 FAO-TCP training-cum-dissemination workshop on findings and outcomes
of the FIMSUL-1 project, 07 november2014, chennai, India.
 Inception workshop – technical cooperation programme on support to the
implementation of the strategy for fisheries management for sustainable
livelihoods project (FIMSUL), 29-30 January 2014, chennai, India.
 National result sharing and scoping workshop on outcomes of the fisheries
management for sustainable livelihoods project (FIMSUL), 22-23
November 2012, chennai, India.
 Exposure visit to Sri Lanka – thoothur fishers, Tamilnadu, 3-6 February
2013.
 Strategic workshop on communication needs of marine fishermen, 9-10
November 2013, chennai, Tamilnadu, India.

24. Contd.,
 Sixth meeting of the governing council of the BOBP-IGO (GCM) 15-16
July 2010, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
 International symposium on ecosystem approach to fisheries management,
21 December 2011, chennai, India.
 International workshop on improving safety and health of fishing
communities: A bay of Bengal initiative, 13 -14 December 2010,
mahabalipuram, India.
 National stakeholder consultation on safety at sea for small-scale fishermen
in Bangladesh, 19 December 2010, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
 Fourth regional training programme on CCRF, 10 - 23 July 2011,
Chennai/Kochi/Trivandrum, India.

25. Contd.,

26. Contd.,
 Training programme – essential EAFM-developing capacity in the
ecosystem approach to fisheries management, 16-20 November 2014,
Chittagong, Bangladesh.
 Art exhibition -October 2011.
 First bi-national stakeholder consultation on sustaining the gulf of Mannar
ecosystem and its resources, 5-6 September 2011, rameshwaram, India.
 First meeting of the technical committee to consider setting up of the rfmo-
2010,chennai,tamilnadu, India.
 Painting competition for school children to celebrate international year of
biodiversity, 18 December 2010, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

28. Contd.,
 Second regional consultation on preparation of management plan for Hilsa
fisheries, Chittagong, Bangladesh, 08-09 February 2010.
 Sixth meeting of the technical advisory committee of the BOBP-IGO, 20-
21 April 2011,_New Delhi, India.
 Third regional training course on the CCRF 20 June - 03 July 2010,
Chennai/Mumbai, India.
 Workshop on improving communication skills in fisheries, 25-26 October
2010, chennai, India.

29. Decision Making
Each Member State has one vote in the Governing Council.
• Decisions of the Governing Council are generally made by
majority vote (with a majority of Member States present
constituting a quorum).
• Decisions concerning BOBP-IGO’s work program, budget,
financial contributions, and new Member States must be
approved by two-thirds of the Member States.
• Amendments to the Agreement must be approved by three-
quarters of the Member States.

30. Funding and Financing
The financial resources of the BOBP-IGO as:
 Contributions from the member states.
 Revenues from providing services.
 Donations and voluntary contributions (that are compatible with the
objectives of BOBP-IGO).
 Other resources that are approved by the governing council and
compatible with the objectives of BOBP-IGO. Under article 13.3, a
member state that has arrears totaling its contributions due from the two
preceding calendar years will not be allowed to vote in the governing
council.
 But, the governing council can still permit that member state to vote if it
finds that the member state’s failure to pay its financial contribution was
as a result of circumstances beyond its control.

31. Reference
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:BOBPIGO
 http://bobpigo.org/html_site/aboutbobp.htm
 http://www.fao.org/fishery/rfb/bobp_igo/en#Org-
OrgGovernance
 http://www.fao.org/docrep/X5627E/x5627e0q.htm