Govt opens control room to resolve fisheries, livestock crises

The government has opened a control room to address the crises emerging in the country's fisheries and livestock sectors due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The control room was set up at the Department of Livestock Services in the city's Farmgate and a hotline number – 02-9122557 – was introduced today, public relations officer of the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry Iftekhar Hossain told BSS.

To this end, a view-exchange meeting was held between the officials of the ministry and stakeholders concerned of fisheries sector at Matshya Bhaban here.

Chaired by Fisheries and Livestock secretary Rawnak Mahmud, the meeting was attended, among others, by additional secretary of the ministry Shaymal Chandra Karmakar and director general of the Fisheries Department Kazi Shams Afroze.

Representatives of Bangladesh Marine Fisheries Association, Feed Industries Association, Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters Association, Bangladesh Live and Chilled Food Exporters Association (BLCFEA), Shrimp Hatchery Association of Bangladesh and the Fish Hatchery and Farm Owners Association were present at the meeting.

Involving the officials of the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry, the Department of Livestock Services and the Fisheries Department, the control room will remain open from 9 am to 5 pm every day.

Officials said immediate measures will be taken to ensure production, supply and marketing of poultry products, milk and milk products, meat and fisheries resources through the hotline of the control room.

Participants at the meeting today urged the stockholders concerned to work from their respective position to ensure production, supply, marketing and export of fisheries resources during the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

The people involved in fisheries and livestock sectors were asked to communicate with the ministry through the hotline if they face any trouble in production, supply, marketing and export of the products, a ministry press release said.

In a recent statement, Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim said as per the suggestion of the World Health Organization (WHO), people have to take nutritious food to boost the immune system of the human body to prevent coronavirus.

So, he said, the ministry has taken various measures to ensure normal supply of the sources of protein – milk, eggs, fishes and meat – to tackle the ongoing crisis.

Rezaul said his ministry has already sent letters to the deputy commissioners (DCs), the home ministry and the cabinet division asking to take steps to ensure production, supply and marketing of poultry products, milk and milk products, meat and fish and fisheries products.