President for preservation of varieties of local fish
Underscoring the need for taking steps to produce and preserve different varieties of local fishes President Abdul Hamid yesterday said people will have to be encouraged to cultivate and preserve different varieties of local fishes to protect the countrys aquatic environment and biodiversity.
Production of local fishes has been decreased to a large extent and some varieties of local fishes are facing extinction. So, we must take steps to encourage the people to cultivate and preserve different varieties of local fishes for maintaining biodiversity, the president said at a function at Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban in the capital marking the National Fisheries Week-2016.
Mentioning the potential of the fisheries sector, the president suggested proper implementation of different laws related to the fish production and preservation and asked authorities concerned to make the people, especially the fish producers and traders, aware about these laws.
He laid emphasis on taking a programme comprising of the government and all fisheries related stakeholders including non-government, voluntary and commercial organisations as well as research institutes to boost fish production.
Its not the responsibility of the government alone to increase fish production and to maintain proper management of vast aquatic resources, he added.
He said the fisheries sector has been fulfilling 60 per cent of demand for animal protein, moreover 11 percent of the total population of the country depend on this sector for their living. Later, the president released fish fry in Lion Pond of Bangabhaban.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister Muhammad Sayedul Hoque, state minister for fisheries and livestock Narayan Chandra Chanda, secretary Md Maksudul Hasan Khan and DG of Fisheries Department Syed Arif Azad, among others, spoke on the occasion.
