GAIBANDHA: The National Fisheries Week-2018 ended in the district on Saturday  with a call to boost production of fishes including indigenous ones to meet the demand of nutrition and create employment, reports BSS.

A concluding ceremony was also held at the office of district fisheries officer (DFO) of the town here on Saturday afternoon at the directive of the higher authorities concerned though the week was celebrated here from July 18 to                                   July 24.

Acting deputy commissioner (DC) Muhammad Mizanur Rahman addressed the function as the chief guest and district controller of food M. Amzad Hossain was present at the event as the special guests. With DFO Abdud Dayan in the chair, the function was also addressed, among others, by senior assistant director Barun Chandra Biswas, senior Sadar upazila fisheries officer Sanjoy Banerjee, fish cultivator Saiful Islam Dulu and journalist Sarker M. Shahiduzzaman.

The speakers in their speeches underscored the need for enhancing the fish production in all the seven upazilas here at larger scale through motivating the new farmers and establishing fish sanctuaries in the water bodies of the district.

They also emphasized for protecting the mother fishes in the haors, bills and other water bodies and Jatka in the river of Jamuna at the initiative of the fisheries department involving the locals.

They also demanded of the government to provide subsidy or the loans with nominal interest to help the fish farmers produce more fishes without economical trouble and to brighten the fisheries sector as well.

Acting (DC) Muhammad Mizanur Rahman in his speeches said the fish production had been increased in the country in last few years for taking pragmatic steps and adopting modern technologies by the department.

Terming the fisheries sector as the potential one Muhammad Mizanur Rahman urged all the stakeholders to build social movement on fish farming and mother fishes protecting to meet the deficiency of all types of fishes in future. Later, the guests formally distributed the crests to the students of Ahammad Uddin Shah Shishu Niketan School and College of the town who participated in the debate on fish production marking the fisheries week and successful farmers.

A large number of fish farmers, fishermen, stakeholders, students, and journalists of print and electronic media took part in the function spontaneously.