Focus is on boosting safe fish production: Minister

The government is working on breeding safe and healthy fish for the consumers as well as conserving the indigenous fish species, Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim said yesterday.

"The focus is not limited to boosting fish production alone, rather on the production of healthy and nutritious fish. The National Fisheries Week from 23 July to 29 July is being observed with this very aim," the minister said at a press conference held at the Directorate of Fisheries in the capital.

"Three state-of-the-art laboratories with international standard testing facilities have been set up in the country," he said, adding, "We are ensuring that export-bound fishes are free of toxic elements."

Rezaul Karim said that fish production has more than doubled in 16 years. The fisheries sector accounts for 3.57% of the country's total GDP and 26.5% of the agricultural GDP. Globally, Bangladesh ranks 1st in hilsa production and 4th in tilapia production, 3rd in open inland fish production, and 5th in closed pond cultured fish production.

In the past, there was a fish crisis due to a lack of proper care in the fisheries sector. As a result, a large part of the Bangladeshi indigenous fish was lost. Of these, 36 species of extinct fish have been brought back by the tireless efforts of Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute scientists, he added. 

The minister also said that a live gene bank has been set up in Mymensingh, which will house more than 100 species of fish, to make sure that no fish species are lost.

On fish export, the minister said Hilsa is already a Geographical Indication (GI) product of Bangladesh. Bagda prawn has been added as a new GI product. Bangladesh exports fish to about 52 countries.

As part of the central programme of National Fisheries Week-2022, a procession was held at the capital's Manik Mia Avenue on Saturday morning.