DHAKA, Sept 19, 2019 (BSS) -The country’s total fish production stood at 42.77 lakh metric tons because of the different multidimensional steps of the government to increase the production, State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Md Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru said today.
He said this while inaugurating a two-day workshop on “Annual Research Plan Formulation 2019-20” arranged by Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI).
The state minister said more than 11 percent people of the country are dependent on the fisheries sector and 3.57 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) comes from this sector.
In 1980s, he said, the total fish production was 8 lakh metric tons and 80 percent of the fishers were from rivers, haor and beel (wetlands).
Ashraf Ali said now the fish production stood at 42.77 metric tons and 56 percent of the fishes comes from fish farming, 28 percent from rivers and haro and inland open water bodies and 16 percent from sea.
He said BFRI successfully preserved the genomes of 21 fish species out of 64 species which are on verge of extinction. BFRI Director General Dr Yahia Mahmud chaired the inaugural session while its Chief Scientific Officer Dr Ashraful Alam presented the keynote paper.
Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Md Raisul Alam Mondal, Agricultural Research Council Executive Chairman Dr Md Kabir Ikramul Haque, Fisheries Department Director General Abu Sayed Md. Rashedul Haque and Dhaka University Professor Dr Niamul Haque were present on the occasion.