Govt upbeat on Tk 40m programme to raise hilsha production
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Mahmuda Shaolin
The Department of Fisheries (DoF) has taken a programme involving Tk 40 million (4.0 crore) to raise Hilsha output to 0.3 million (3 lakh) tonnes this year, officials said.
Under the Jatka Conservation Programme for 2008-09, the government has already strictly enforced a ban on netting Jatka (hilsha fry) and their mothers in 11 southern coastal districts and 63 upazilas, which the DoF hopes would lead to an additional 10 per cent of hilsha output this year, a fisheries department official said.
"In the current fiscal, the government has allocated Tk 40 million for the fishermen in the coastal belt. We're carrying out different programmes to raise awareness among fishermen about the demerit of jatka catching," DoF's evaluation officer Masood Siddique told the FE.
He also said the DoF is expecting the production of hilsha will increase many times because of the government initiative to make the anti-hilsha fry campaign a success.
"With hilsha priced at minimum Tk 250 per kilogramme, the total output of hilsha will account for at least Tk 75 billion or just more than that this year," Mr. Masood said.
As per government instruction, the DoF carried out the 'Hilsha Sanctuary Management' programme in the districts of Chandpur, Lakkhipur, Bhola and Patuakhali from March to January to help enhance the hilsha output.
Under the programme, around 144,000 jatka-fishermen who live on catching hilsha have been given Tk 1,000 each, so that they refrain from indiscriminate netting of jatka measuring less than nine inches, according to the DoF.
The government also enforced a hilsha spawning ground conversation during October 15-24 last.
Last year, the country produced over 0.29 million tonnes of hilsha worth around Tk 70 billion, according to the DoF statistics.
Hilsha, the 'most sought-after' fish to the world's 250 million Bangalees, accounts for about 15 per cent of Bangladesh's total annual fish production.
But despite Bangladesh's waters being the ideal home and main breeding ground for hilsha, their output and overall size decreased abnormally early this decade due to unrestricted hetting of hilsha fry.
The previous BNP-led government first launched the anti-jatka campaign in 2003-04, aiming to allow the fry to grow into full-sized hilsha.
The current caretaker government followed the policy and enforced the ban on jatka catching more strictly months ahead of the summer when the mother hilsha spawns fry in the southern rivers.
"We're confident all programmes of the government would help achieve the target of 0.3 million tonnes of hilsha output as our fishermen are now more aware than ever before about conservation of hilsha breeding ground and about indiscriminate catching of jatka," Mr. Masood stated.
The Department of Fisheries (DoF) has taken a programme involving Tk 40 million (4.0 crore) to raise Hilsha output to 0.3 million (3 lakh) tonnes this year, officials said.
Under the Jatka Conservation Programme for 2008-09, the government has already strictly enforced a ban on netting Jatka (hilsha fry) and their mothers in 11 southern coastal districts and 63 upazilas, which the DoF hopes would lead to an additional 10 per cent of hilsha output this year, a fisheries department official said.
"In the current fiscal, the government has allocated Tk 40 million for the fishermen in the coastal belt. We're carrying out different programmes to raise awareness among fishermen about the demerit of jatka catching," DoF's evaluation officer Masood Siddique told the FE.
He also said the DoF is expecting the production of hilsha will increase many times because of the government initiative to make the anti-hilsha fry campaign a success.
"With hilsha priced at minimum Tk 250 per kilogramme, the total output of hilsha will account for at least Tk 75 billion or just more than that this year," Mr. Masood said.
As per government instruction, the DoF carried out the 'Hilsha Sanctuary Management' programme in the districts of Chandpur, Lakkhipur, Bhola and Patuakhali from March to January to help enhance the hilsha output.
Under the programme, around 144,000 jatka-fishermen who live on catching hilsha have been given Tk 1,000 each, so that they refrain from indiscriminate netting of jatka measuring less than nine inches, according to the DoF.
The government also enforced a hilsha spawning ground conversation during October 15-24 last.
Last year, the country produced over 0.29 million tonnes of hilsha worth around Tk 70 billion, according to the DoF statistics.
Hilsha, the 'most sought-after' fish to the world's 250 million Bangalees, accounts for about 15 per cent of Bangladesh's total annual fish production.
But despite Bangladesh's waters being the ideal home and main breeding ground for hilsha, their output and overall size decreased abnormally early this decade due to unrestricted hetting of hilsha fry.
The previous BNP-led government first launched the anti-jatka campaign in 2003-04, aiming to allow the fry to grow into full-sized hilsha.
The current caretaker government followed the policy and enforced the ban on jatka catching more strictly months ahead of the summer when the mother hilsha spawns fry in the southern rivers.
"We're confident all programmes of the government would help achieve the target of 0.3 million tonnes of hilsha output as our fishermen are now more aware than ever before about conservation of hilsha breeding ground and about indiscriminate catching of jatka," Mr. Masood stated.