Boosting fish production to meet protein demand underscored

GAIBANDHA, July 28: Speakers in a function here Tuesday underscored the need for boosting production of fishes including indigenous ones to meet the growing demand of protein and build hunger and poverty free country.

"As the fisheries sector is meeting 60-70 per cent demand of the total protein, there is no alternative to fish production in larger scale through the best use of the existing water bodies in changed environment and situation", they said.

They came up with the comments while addressing a post rally discussion meeting organised by district administration and department of fisheries at Zilla Parishad (ZP) auditorium of the town here on Tuesday noon as a part of the celebration of National Fisheries Week-2015 as elsewhere of the country.

Whip of the Bangladesh Jatiya Sangshad and local lawmaker Mahabub Ara Begum Gini addressed the function as the chief guest and superintendent of police Ashraful Islam and acting Sadar UNO Mustafizur Rahman were present as the special guests.

With acting deputy commissioner and additional deputy commissioner (General) Abu Bakar Siddique in the chair, the meeting was also addressed, among others, by district fisheries officer Abdul Latif, Sadar upazila fisheries officer M. Abu Sayeed, successful fish cultivator Shawkat Hossain Akand, fisherman Upendranath Das and journalist Sarker M. Shahiduzzaman.

Whip and local lawmaker Mahabub Ara Begum Gini in her speeches said fish production was 2.70 million (27.01 lakh)  tonnes in 2008-2009 fiscal when AL led government assumed in power.

For taking pragmatic measures by the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fish production increased significantly in the country and it stood at 3.55 million tonnes 2013-2014 fiscal and its enhancing tendency continued, the whip also said.

Considering the welfare of the fishermen the government was distributing identity (ID) cards to the bona fide fishermen so that they could get incentive and state facilities from the government and other organisations to lead their lives smoothly during the lean period, she added.

She also urged all particularly the youths to build social movement in the society on fish production in all water bodies anyhow to attain the cherished goal of the government and help turn Bangladesh a middle income country by 2021.

Later, the whip formally distributed crests to two successful fish cultivators-Shawkat Hossain Akand and Sabrina Akand of Sadar upazila and ID cards to 56 fishermen of Gaibandha Municipality as the chief guest.

Earlier, the whip also released fingerlings of native fish species like rui, katla, and mrigel on the pond of ZP in presence of all marking the week.

A large number of fishermen, fish cultivators, district level officials and invited guests including journalists of print and electronic media attended the programmes.

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