BSS, Rajshahi :
By dint of enormous natural resources and promotion of modern technologies, more than 62,000 tonnes of fishes are being yielded in the district against its yearly demand of around 55,000 tonnes.
Apart from this, the annual fish production has been increasing gradually as more new people are being engaged in the potential field.
Golam Rabbani, District Fisheries Officer, revealed the success story while presiding over the closing session of the district level National Fisheries Week-2014 at Paba Upazila Complex Auditorium yesterday.
He also said successful fish farming could be the effective means of ensuring food, clothes and shelter of the nation as there is an enormous scope of boosting up fish production after the best uses of existing national resources.
Golam Rabbani said the present government has been implementing various programmes to uplift the sector. “We are committed to build formalin-free fish market”.
Additional District Magistrate Jakir Hossain addressed the discussion as chief guest while Upazila Chairman Prof Mokbul Hossain, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Razzaqul Islam, Assistant Director of Department of Fisheries Saidur Rahman and Upazila Fisheries Officer Shahed Ali also spoke.
Fish farmer Rafiqul Islam said time has come to make the growers level fish farming activities hassle-free and more effective for the sake of meeting up the protein deficiency.
He called for finding out the existing problems in the sector and solving those as early as possible.
Stern action should be taken against those who are manufacturing and marketing inferior quality fish meal. “Interests of the fish farmers should be protected on priority basis,” he added.
Another farmer Shariful Islam said indiscriminate fish harvesting in the Padma River should be restricted in the greater interests of protecting the indigenous small fish species.
He identically mentioned that some musclemen are involved in the malpractice and urged the local administration to take effective measures against the culprits. “There is no way but to protect the natural fisheries resources,” he opined.
The speakers said enhanced fish production can be the effective means to meet protein deficiency and poverty alleviation along with employment generation. They recommended inspiring the farmers, providing them with latest scientific technologies and educating them in producing quality fish fries and fingerlings so that they grow fish more.
Besides, they called for involving more people in the fish farming activities for the sake of facing the gradually increasing protein demands as only the fish fulfill at least 80 percent need of the animal protein especially of the poor and marginal communities.
