Fish farming can ensure protein autarky
Says fisheries minister
Visitors at the fisheries fair at Krishibid Institution in the city yesterday. Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock and Directorate of Fisheries organised the fair on the occasion of the National Fisheries Week-2010.Photo: STAR
Fish farming could be the easiest feasible mean to ensure protein autarky in the country for food security, said Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Biswas at a seminar yesterday. “Food security does not only mean rice or wheat but also the food containing protein. Protein is necessary to ensure proper food security,” he said urging the researchers to concentrate on preventing local fish species from extinction. Latif Biswas was speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled “Importance of invention and spread of fish farming technology and management to ensure protein in Bangladesh.” The seminar jointly organised by Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute and Ministry of Fisheries and Livestocks was held at Krishibid Institution marking the National Fisheries Week-2010. Finance Minister Abul Mal Abdul Muhith inaugurated a fisheries fair jointly organised by Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock and Directorate of Fisheries at the same venue in the morning. Muhith in his speech in the inaugural function said the government would conduct a census of the people involved in fish farming for having an official idea about the status of the sector in the country. “Census is a very important matter,” he said. Different species of fish, fish fries and fish food are put on display in the fair by different fisheries organisations. He emphasised ensuring safe habitat for the fish fries and their protection, protection of water bodies and strong vigil over spread of Piranha fish across the country. He said, “Though the country went through a massive change in terms of many things, different government service-oriented institutions still suffer from huge shortage of manpower.” According to the keynote paper presented at a seminar in the morning session, fish production was 27.23 lakh metric tons last year against the demand of 32.20 lakh metric tons. The amount of protein each person gets in our country is 13.5kgs against the necessity of 18kgs, the paper said. Of the total production, 22 lakh metric tons of fish come from fresh water sources while salty water area remained unexplored. There are 260 species of fish in 4.9 million hectares of fresh water and 1.66 lakh square kms of salty water. Of them, 54 species of fish are on the verge of extinct due to pollution and reduction in water bodies, the paper said.
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