Fish output quadruples

As per a Food and Agriculture Organisation report, Bangladesh has made great strides in raising the output of fish production in the country. Improving output by five times over the last three decades is no mean feat, which translates into nearly 3.5million metric tons of fish to provide an important source of nutrition for an ever-growing population. With fish providing about 56 per cent of total protein needs of the average citizen, more must be done to promote aquaculture in the country.
It is understood that when we talk about fish production and consumption, it has mostly to do with fresh water varieties that are farmed extensively in natural water bodies and fish farms across the country. While the government has been attempting to protect fish fry from being caught during spawning season, it has remained an uphill struggle. As has been the fight to protect national water bodies that are under constant threat of being filled up by unscrupulous business interests to make way for often illegal housing estates.
Given that the fish industry is now worth an estimated Tk. 50,000 crore per annum and provides livelihoods of around 11 per cent of the population, more needs to be done to preserve this sector from encroachers. Government efforts in setting up and promoting swamp nurseries should be lauded and we cannot emphasise enough on the need to preserve natural water bodies that have contributed so much to the growth of fish and fish production in the country.