November 2, 2009

The Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation (BSFF) is set to develop an Aquaculture Food Safety Centre (AFSC) to provide training on good aquaculture practices (GAPs).

BSFF together with the Joint Institute of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN), University of Maryland, US, Katalyst, US AID supported PRICE project will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) soon to develop the centre which will be affiliated with the Fisheries Product Business Promotion Council, the leading private-public aquaculture entity under the Ministry of Commerce.

GAPs apply a set of management approaches based on international principles of responsible aquaculture in an effort to ensure food safety, environmental sustainability, labour standards and other issues of social acceptability. These principles are to be applied at all levels of the shrimp value chain.

Mashiur Rahman, adviser to the prime minister on economic affairs, stressed the need of accelerating development of all potential water resources for fish and shrimp production in environment friendly and socially acceptable manners and carefully complying with the food safety rules.

Rahman further held his expectation that the country had the potential to double the shrimp export volume and value by 2015.