Anisul Islam Noor :
The government is working to set up Vessel Tracking and Monitoring System (VTMS) to monitor sea going vessels and illegal fishing in the Bay of Bengal.
Once VTMS is established, the position of the sea-going fishing trawlers can be observed and controlled from the Chittagong Marine Fisheries Office. Moreover, it will be possible to restrict intrusion of foreign fishing vessels and illegal fishing in the Bay. Tender has been invited regarding setting up of VTMS, said official of Fisheries and Livestock Ministries.
Marine fisheries contribute 3.74 percent of the country’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The sector also contributes 4.04 percent in the country’s export income.
The southern coast of Bangladesh has a huge reserve of fish and the total area of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Bay of Bengal is around 41,000 sq nautical miles, experts said.
At present, about 50 to 60 thousand trawlers and 50,000 machined and non-machined vessels are regularly netting 475 different species of fish and 20 species of shrimps between 20 and 25 miles areas, said Anisur Rahman, Joint-Secretary of Fisheries and Livestock Ministries.
“Our fishermen catch fish in similar areas everyday. As a result, the sea fish reserve may run out in near future. But fishing areas will be expanded after setting up VTMS in the Bay”, he said.
We are not permitting vessel for fishing in the deep sea areas as we cannot contact with them for giving warning about weather. The project will make the task easier.
The government has undertaken a Tk 1 billion ‘Marine Fisheries Capacity Building Project’ to make appropriate plans for breeding and development of fish, control fishing, to introduce proper management. A marine fisheries survey vessel is being bought for Tk 500 million as part of this project. Islami Development Bank (IDB) and the Malaysian government are jointly financing the project, sources said.
“Fish reserve in the Bay of Bengal is not infinite; it is a renewable source. This property (fish) can be used for a long time if fished in line with directions,” said Professor Shahidul Islam of Chittagong University.
The first marine fisheries survey in the Bay was conducted after independence with Japan’s assistance. Bangladesh got RV Onushondhani in 1982 and RV Maasranga in 1983 as grants. Surveys were conducted till 1990 with these two vessels and with the assistance of the World Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
RV Maasranga sank in the Karnaphuli in the 1997 cyclone. Though it was recovered later, the vessel became useless and is at present posted at the Bangladesh Fish Development Corporation’s basin.
RV Onushondhani was also rendered useless by a technical glitch during a ground survey at the sea in 2001. From then, it is resting at the Karnaphuli dockyard.
The government is working to set up Vessel Tracking and Monitoring System (VTMS) to monitor sea going vessels and illegal fishing in the Bay of Bengal.
Once VTMS is established, the position of the sea-going fishing trawlers can be observed and controlled from the Chittagong Marine Fisheries Office. Moreover, it will be possible to restrict intrusion of foreign fishing vessels and illegal fishing in the Bay. Tender has been invited regarding setting up of VTMS, said official of Fisheries and Livestock Ministries.
Marine fisheries contribute 3.74 percent of the country’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The sector also contributes 4.04 percent in the country’s export income.
The southern coast of Bangladesh has a huge reserve of fish and the total area of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Bay of Bengal is around 41,000 sq nautical miles, experts said.
At present, about 50 to 60 thousand trawlers and 50,000 machined and non-machined vessels are regularly netting 475 different species of fish and 20 species of shrimps between 20 and 25 miles areas, said Anisur Rahman, Joint-Secretary of Fisheries and Livestock Ministries.
“Our fishermen catch fish in similar areas everyday. As a result, the sea fish reserve may run out in near future. But fishing areas will be expanded after setting up VTMS in the Bay”, he said.
We are not permitting vessel for fishing in the deep sea areas as we cannot contact with them for giving warning about weather. The project will make the task easier.
The government has undertaken a Tk 1 billion ‘Marine Fisheries Capacity Building Project’ to make appropriate plans for breeding and development of fish, control fishing, to introduce proper management. A marine fisheries survey vessel is being bought for Tk 500 million as part of this project. Islami Development Bank (IDB) and the Malaysian government are jointly financing the project, sources said.
“Fish reserve in the Bay of Bengal is not infinite; it is a renewable source. This property (fish) can be used for a long time if fished in line with directions,” said Professor Shahidul Islam of Chittagong University.
The first marine fisheries survey in the Bay was conducted after independence with Japan’s assistance. Bangladesh got RV Onushondhani in 1982 and RV Maasranga in 1983 as grants. Surveys were conducted till 1990 with these two vessels and with the assistance of the World Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
RV Maasranga sank in the Karnaphuli in the 1997 cyclone. Though it was recovered later, the vessel became useless and is at present posted at the Bangladesh Fish Development Corporation’s basin.
RV Onushondhani was also rendered useless by a technical glitch during a ground survey at the sea in 2001. From then, it is resting at the Karnaphuli dockyard.
