Economic Reporter :
The government is expected to start marine resource assessment within the country’s boundary in the Bay of Bengal within the running month (November) by using a high-tech marine research vessel, says a senior official.
The survey will include discovery of reserve marine fishes and other resources in the area which will directly benefit the people of coastal areas who depend on fishing, he addrd.
“The ocean survey ship, imported from Malaysia in June last, is expected to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by this month,” Director General of the Department of Fisheries Syed Arif Azad told The New Nation.
The government has procured the survey ship at a cost of Tk 65.5 crore under a Tk 165-crore marine fisheries capacity building project, being implemented with support from the Islamic Development Bank and the Malaysian government.
According to officials at the Fisheries Department, the high-tech 37.8-meter long multipurpose research vessel, equipped with the latest technology for fisheries and other oceanographic research, is expected to play a role in managing marine resources and improving the lifestyle of around 5 lakh people living in coastal areas who depend on fishing.
Arif Azad said the Department of Fisheries has already taken all-out preparations to launch the ship in the Bay to survey marine resources, but they cannot launch it right now for adverse weather.
He said the survey ship will go into operation this month involving experts, oceanographers and researchers from Bangladesh Navy, Chittagong University and the Fisheries Department.
Prof Dr Hossain Jamal, a teacher of Marine Sciences and Fisheries Institute at the Chittagong University, said efficient manpower and adequate resources are a must to conduct an effective survey on marine resources and identify marine stock.
“Oceanographers and marine and fisheries researchers should be included in the ship to conduct a quality assessment of marine resources. Apart from manpower, an adequate fund is required to do so,” he said.
The Bay of Bengal is full of biological diversity, diverging amongst coral reefs, estuaries, sea fish and mangroves. It is one of the world’s largest marine ecosystems.
According to experts, Bangladesh will be able to conduct surveys on marine resources over the next 20-25 years uninterruptedly. It will also help the Department of Fisheries increase its capacity as a whole.
Though Bangladesh has a plenty of marine resources within its sea area, the country is yet to take any effective step to explore its potential over four years after the verdict of a UN court in Hamburg on March 14, 2012, allocating around 111,631 square kilometres of sea area to Bangladesh disposing of a dispute with Myanmar.
Then in July 2014, Bangladesh also gained about 19,467 square kilometres of maritime area (of the total 25,602 square kilometre-disputed area) from an ITLOS verdict in its case against India.
Dr Md Maruf Hossain, a marine sciences professor of Chittagong University (CU), said the two verdicts have paved the path for exploring marine potentials while the research vessel, procured from Malaysia, will help assess the marine resources.
He said there is no doubt that marine fisheries production will go up after their stock assessment since the assessment will help the government take effective policies to manage marine resources.
Dr Md Abdul Wahab, a fisheries professor of Bangladesh Agriculture University (BAU), said an extensive assessment could be done through the research vessel to identify the marine stock and how much fishes could be harvested from the sea.
The government is expected to start marine resource assessment within the country’s boundary in the Bay of Bengal within the running month (November) by using a high-tech marine research vessel, says a senior official.
The survey will include discovery of reserve marine fishes and other resources in the area which will directly benefit the people of coastal areas who depend on fishing, he addrd.
“The ocean survey ship, imported from Malaysia in June last, is expected to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by this month,” Director General of the Department of Fisheries Syed Arif Azad told The New Nation.
The government has procured the survey ship at a cost of Tk 65.5 crore under a Tk 165-crore marine fisheries capacity building project, being implemented with support from the Islamic Development Bank and the Malaysian government.
According to officials at the Fisheries Department, the high-tech 37.8-meter long multipurpose research vessel, equipped with the latest technology for fisheries and other oceanographic research, is expected to play a role in managing marine resources and improving the lifestyle of around 5 lakh people living in coastal areas who depend on fishing.
Arif Azad said the Department of Fisheries has already taken all-out preparations to launch the ship in the Bay to survey marine resources, but they cannot launch it right now for adverse weather.
He said the survey ship will go into operation this month involving experts, oceanographers and researchers from Bangladesh Navy, Chittagong University and the Fisheries Department.
Prof Dr Hossain Jamal, a teacher of Marine Sciences and Fisheries Institute at the Chittagong University, said efficient manpower and adequate resources are a must to conduct an effective survey on marine resources and identify marine stock.
“Oceanographers and marine and fisheries researchers should be included in the ship to conduct a quality assessment of marine resources. Apart from manpower, an adequate fund is required to do so,” he said.
The Bay of Bengal is full of biological diversity, diverging amongst coral reefs, estuaries, sea fish and mangroves. It is one of the world’s largest marine ecosystems.
According to experts, Bangladesh will be able to conduct surveys on marine resources over the next 20-25 years uninterruptedly. It will also help the Department of Fisheries increase its capacity as a whole.
Though Bangladesh has a plenty of marine resources within its sea area, the country is yet to take any effective step to explore its potential over four years after the verdict of a UN court in Hamburg on March 14, 2012, allocating around 111,631 square kilometres of sea area to Bangladesh disposing of a dispute with Myanmar.
Then in July 2014, Bangladesh also gained about 19,467 square kilometres of maritime area (of the total 25,602 square kilometre-disputed area) from an ITLOS verdict in its case against India.
Dr Md Maruf Hossain, a marine sciences professor of Chittagong University (CU), said the two verdicts have paved the path for exploring marine potentials while the research vessel, procured from Malaysia, will help assess the marine resources.
He said there is no doubt that marine fisheries production will go up after their stock assessment since the assessment will help the government take effective policies to manage marine resources.
Dr Md Abdul Wahab, a fisheries professor of Bangladesh Agriculture University (BAU), said an extensive assessment could be done through the research vessel to identify the marine stock and how much fishes could be harvested from the sea.
