Experts for producing quality seed to enhance fish output

RANGPUR, Aug 29 (BSS): Experts at the concluding ceremony of a two-day training workshop here Thursday afternoon stressed the need for producing quality fish seed and quality fish feed to enhance fish production in the region as well as the country.
They were addressing the concluding session of the training workshop organised by WorldFish under the USAID-funded Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia in Bangladesh (CSISA-BD) Project at ASOD Training Centre on "CSISA-WorldFish invented aquaculture technologies" for fish value chain actors.
Divisional Deputy Director of the Department of Fisheries (DoF) M Rokib Uddin Biswas attended the workshop as the chief guest while District Fisheries Officer M Rawshan Ara Begum was present as the special guest.
Extension agronomist of CSISA-CIMMYT M Anarul Haque and Consultant Dr M Maksud-Ul-Alam Rajon of CSISA-II from International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) at CSISA-BD Rangpur Hub in Bangladesh addressed the programme as special guests.
Fish scientist of CSISA-BD Project from WorldFish Dr M Nahiduzzaman presented the welcome note on "CSISA-WorldFish invented aquaculture technologies: the role of fish value chain actors" in the northern region of Bangladesh.
The objective of the training workshop was to increase capacity of the participating value chain actors on different aspects of aquaculture technologies in order to provide better information on aquaculture to their clients for enhancing fish production.
Dr Nahiduzzaman stressed the need for effective linkage among all actors including the public institutions and private entrepreneurs for better service delivery to the fish farmers in this region.
Fish is of utmost importance in the life and culture of the people of Bangladesh and this sector widely contributes to both poverty reduction and food security and in meeting nutritional demand of the common people, he said.
He said aquaculture enjoyed an impressive growth rate of over 9 per cent in Bangladesh while growth rates of captured fishery were rather slow due to different factors including habitat loss as a result of agricultural intensification, urbanisation, environmental degradation, pollution and overexploitation of resources.
In his speech, Mr Rokib said, "Rangpur division is a fish-deficit one in terms of fish production from captured and culture fishery. Therefore, all sectors need to work together to meet fish demand of this region".
In Bangladesh, fish production from aquaculture has increased rapidly in recent years due to adoption of various aquaculture technologies, use of input (such as quality fish seed, feed and fertilisers) and higher market demand.
The basic requirement for increasing fish production is the availability of high quality fish fingerlings and supply of quality fish feed, he said and urged all departments, development agencies and private entrepreneurs concerned to work together for ensuring quality of the fish production input.
He also stressed the necessity for quality technological information which is essential for the farmers to get profit from their investment in the pond aquaculture resources.
The fish value chain actors can be a bridge between farmers and related public institution.
He also urged the fish feed dealers and fish hatchery owners to have licences from the authority concerned to maintain quality in their business.
Fish feed manufacturers, fish feed dealers, fish fingerling suppliers, fish hatchery owners, fish farmers and officials from DoF, WorldFish, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), ILRI and representatives of partner NGOs and journalists participated in the training workshop.