Bangladesh occupies first position in hilsha production

Right at this moment Bangladesh occupies the first position in hilsha production as the country’s hilsha output has increased by 66 per cent in the last nine years, BSS reported.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister Naryan Chandra Chanda said this while inaugurating a two-day workshop at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) auditorium here today.

“It is a matter of pride that Bangladesh is now holding the first position in hilsha production. The success in hilsa output is the outcome of implementation of the fisheries-friendly policy and programmes undertaken by the present government,’ said the minister at the workshop arranged by Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI).

The minister said Bangladesh occupies the 3rd position in open water bodies fish production and 4th in sweet water bodies fish production across the world.

The fisheries sector has now been considered as a very vital sector for earning huge foreign currencies and creating new employment opportunities, he added.

Chanda said more than 11 per cent people are now depending on the fisheries sector for their livelihood. The BFRI already has devised the production technique of 18 different categories of local fishes out of 64 species which are now at the verge of extinction, the minister pointed out.

Chaired by BFRI Director General Dr Yahya, the workshop was addressed, among others, by Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Raisul Alam Mondol, Executive Chairman of BARC Dr Kabir Ikramul Haq and Director General of the Department of Fisheries (DoF) Golzar Hossain.