Faruk-Ul Islam appointed country representative of WorldFish Bangladesh

WorldFish, a global leader in sustainable aquaculture and fisheries research operating in 27 countries, has appointed Dr Faruk-Ul Islam as its new Country Representative for Bangladesh. 

Dr Faruk is the first native representative to lead WorldFish Bangladesh, marking a significant milestone for the organisation.

Dr Faruk holds a PhD in Aquaculture & Livelihoods from the University of Stirling, UK, and brings over 30 years of experience in the development sector. His career began with the ODA-DoF Bilateral Flagship Fisheries Program, followed by 22 years with Practical Action, a UK-based INGO. He has also held senior management roles with ThinkAqua (UK) and iDE (USA), contributing to multi-disciplinary projects in agriculture, aquaculture, and climate resilience.

Dr Faruk's innovative contributions include forecasting the importance of small fish species for rural food security, which are now widely popular in the market. 

A pioneer in "nature-positive aquaculture," he challenges conventional methods by highlighting the value of self-recruiting species in farmer-managed systems. He has also spearheaded research on pond aeration technology and climate-smart food systems.

Before joining WorldFish, Dr. Faruk led USAID's agricultural mechanisation program at iDE and served as Head of Fundraising and Program Lead for Agriculture and Resilience at Practical Action, where he also acted as Country Director. His leadership has secured substantial funding through over 55 globally-networked proposals.

Dr Faruk aims to prioritise research on smallholder aquaculture competitiveness, aquaculture mechanisation, climate-smart food systems, and coastal and marine fisheries governance. Known for his forward-thinking approach, he has represented Bangladesh in global forums and traveled extensively across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas for research and development initiatives.