UNB, Sherpur :
The Fisheries Department’s Sherpur district chapter is struggling to complete even routine activities as almost half the positions allocated under the key post of fisheries officer lie vacant.
The FD has a provision for 15 fisheries officers in the district, but seven of these posts, including three for upazila fisheries officers, have now been vacant for a long time.
As a result three of the five upazilas in the district – Nalitabari, Sreebardi, and Jhenaigati – have no fisheries officer responsible for the FD’s activities at upazila level. District Fisheries Officer Md Jahid Hasan said it is nothing but a daily struggle for them to complete their activities – even just routine work, let alone new initiatives – in the face of such a manpower shortage. If the vacant posts were somehow magically filled up immediately, it can only creating stronger opportunities for development of the key fisheries industry in the district.
He said they did not take decisions of policy making for the lack of fisheries officers. Fisheries officers have to monitor extensively the field level works but this crucial filed level monitoring works hampered for the lack of officers.
Jahid Hasan said they are trying to complete their works by taking on extra official duties and responsibilities. One of the fisheries officers even took charge of two upazilas. There were a number of FD projects running in the district. Prior to Every project has a fixed time of completion. Due to lack of officer it is hard to complete those projects in time he added. Jahid Hasan told UNB that the three UFO posts have been vacant for half a year (6 months), while the other four fisheries officer posts have been vacant for a year. He said they did report the vacant posts to the higher authorities, requesting them to be filled immediately. But they seem to have fallen on dead ears.
The lone hatchery in the district is hardly usable, and lack of maintenance caused by manpower crisis means it may soon have to shut down permanently.
DFO Jahid Hasan said the district needs at least 31 metric tonnes of fish every year, but can produce just 29.7 tonnnes. The narrow shortfall reflects the hard work being put in by those working in the dreadfully undermanned department.
In a positive development, the district fisheries office has been arranging monthly public hearings as a way to fostering greater engagement between public representatives and fishermen. Fish cultivators at the public hearings do get the opportunity to submit any objection they may have and suggest ways to overcome problems of the department. DFO Jahid revealed they had come up with a mobile phone app that they then provided to 78 fish cultivators of the district, through which they can gain a variety of fisheries-related information digitally.
The Fisheries Department’s Sherpur district chapter is struggling to complete even routine activities as almost half the positions allocated under the key post of fisheries officer lie vacant.
The FD has a provision for 15 fisheries officers in the district, but seven of these posts, including three for upazila fisheries officers, have now been vacant for a long time.
As a result three of the five upazilas in the district – Nalitabari, Sreebardi, and Jhenaigati – have no fisheries officer responsible for the FD’s activities at upazila level. District Fisheries Officer Md Jahid Hasan said it is nothing but a daily struggle for them to complete their activities – even just routine work, let alone new initiatives – in the face of such a manpower shortage. If the vacant posts were somehow magically filled up immediately, it can only creating stronger opportunities for development of the key fisheries industry in the district.
He said they did not take decisions of policy making for the lack of fisheries officers. Fisheries officers have to monitor extensively the field level works but this crucial filed level monitoring works hampered for the lack of officers.
Jahid Hasan said they are trying to complete their works by taking on extra official duties and responsibilities. One of the fisheries officers even took charge of two upazilas. There were a number of FD projects running in the district. Prior to Every project has a fixed time of completion. Due to lack of officer it is hard to complete those projects in time he added. Jahid Hasan told UNB that the three UFO posts have been vacant for half a year (6 months), while the other four fisheries officer posts have been vacant for a year. He said they did report the vacant posts to the higher authorities, requesting them to be filled immediately. But they seem to have fallen on dead ears.
The lone hatchery in the district is hardly usable, and lack of maintenance caused by manpower crisis means it may soon have to shut down permanently.
DFO Jahid Hasan said the district needs at least 31 metric tonnes of fish every year, but can produce just 29.7 tonnnes. The narrow shortfall reflects the hard work being put in by those working in the dreadfully undermanned department.
In a positive development, the district fisheries office has been arranging monthly public hearings as a way to fostering greater engagement between public representatives and fishermen. Fish cultivators at the public hearings do get the opportunity to submit any objection they may have and suggest ways to overcome problems of the department. DFO Jahid revealed they had come up with a mobile phone app that they then provided to 78 fish cultivators of the district, through which they can gain a variety of fisheries-related information digitally.
