July 26, 2010

Bangladesh drives joint efforts for higher fish output

The Bangladeshi president is pushing the creation of a coordinated programme, involving the non-government and voluntary organisations and research institutes, to increase the country's fish output.

"It's not the responsibility of the government or its Fisheries Department alone to increase fish production," said President M Zillur Rahman at the National Fisheries Week-2010 on Sunday (July 25).

Addressing the function, the president said apart from the government organisations, the private agencies, voluntary organisations, research institutes, fish feed manufacturers, fish hatcheries, farmers of fishes and shrimps and all others involved in fish cultivation would have to come up with a coordinated programme for increasing fish production.

Currently, there are about 2.8 million hectares of water bodies in Bangladesh that could be utilised to properly preserve and cultivate the indigenous species of fishes, according to him.

He also said that apart from increasing production of indigenous fishes, massive self-employment will have to be created to eradicate poverty of the rural people through taking society-based fish management programmes. He said the countrymen should be encouraged to produce and preserve all species of indigenous fishes to help protect the environment and the bio-diversity.

The president mentioned that the government had enacted the Fish Feed and Animal Feed Act 2010 and the Fish and Shrimp Hatchery Act 2010 with a view to increasing fish production in the country. He was optimistic when he said, "I hope, we'll soon see the benefits."