Alongside increasing allocation in the fisheries sector, waste must be stopped: Fisheries Minister

He said this while speaking as the chief guest at a workshop titled ‘Budget in the Fisheries Sector and the Government's Development Thoughts’, organized by the Department of Fisheries at the Fisheries Building on Wednesday.

The minister said that due to the shrinking of natural water bodies and environmental changes, the availability of indigenous fish has decreased. Therefore, alongside increasing production, emphasis must be placed on protecting the natural habitats of fish. He also urged regular field-level verification of how effective spending on sanctuaries is in reality, in addition to spending money on them.

Calling for caution in preparing the list of fishermen, he said that if names of fake or ineligible persons are included, genuine fishermen will be deprived of government benefits. The responsible role of officials in verification and screening at the local level must be ensured.

Highlighting the potential for harvesting deep-sea fisheries resources, the minister said that instead of only spending money on surveys, a plan is needed to use their results in actual fish harvesting. For this, skilled manpower, suitable vessels, and technological capacity must be developed.

State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku said that alongside providing technical assistance to young entrepreneurs and farmers, field-level officials must regularly inspect and supervise farms. He also emphasized increasing freshwater fish production, exports, conservation of water bodies, and processing of fisheries products.

Director General of the Department of Fisheries Dr. Md. Khaled Kanak, Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Md. Delowar Hossain, Bangladesh Public Service Commission member Professor A S M Golam Hafiz, and relevant officials were present at the workshop.