PM Urged To Make Fisheries As Main Forex Earning Sector

She also called for prudent use of the country's fisheries and livestock resources to meet up local food and nutritional demand as well as making the sector as one of the main foreign exchange earning sector.

"We have to use the fisheries and livestock resources very prudently and conduct extensive research for its development as the sector is very important for our socio-economic development,"she said.

The Prime Minister was addressing the officials of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock at Bangladesh Secretariat during her visit to the ministry today.

Sheikh Hasina said, the fisheries and livestock sector can play an important role to boost up country's economy to reach the benefit of the independence to every house and build a prosperous country to live with a dignified position in the world comity.

Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Muhammed Sayedul Hoque also spoke on the occasion. PM's Principal Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder, PMO secretary Abul Kalam Azad, acting secretary of the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry Selina Afroz and senior officials of the ministry were present.

The Prime Minister said, Bangladesh Awami League always played a pioneer role in all the struggle for independence and socio-economic emancipation of the people of the country.

Pointing out the negligence of subsequent government to the ministry in the past, she said, many people had taken support and loan from the ministry for fish culture, but, support could play no role to the country's economic development.

"They misused the money to serve their own purposes and making own fortune," she said asking the officials to identify those persons who misused the loan taking steps for their recovery to use for the present purposes of the ministry.

She said, the fisheries sector particularly shrimp sector is contributing a lot in earning foreign currencies. "It's fully our own resources, which we can produce without spending any foreign currency," she said.

The government has established a laboratory in Jessore for testing of the exportable shrimps, she said adding her government wants to encourage the shrimp producers.

The Prime Minister laid importance on production of more varieties of fishes, beef, vegetables and jute and said, Bangladesh can avail the opportunity of exporting halal beef to Saudi Arabia, which the country now imports from Brazil, France and other countries.

"Fisheries and livestock sector is contributing about eight percent of total national income while 90 percent of meat demand is fulfilled from the fisheries and livestock sector," she said. Terming leather sector as another potential sector for Bangladesh, the Prime Minister said, the sector is getting priority and drawing huge foreign investment.

"Many foreign investors are interested to invest in the leather industries in Bangladesh and we are creating scope for them," she said also laying importance on development of dairy and poultry farms in the country.

She underscored the importance of protecting the national fish Hilsha saying her government has taken many measures for protection of the special species of fish. She asked the officials to take step for arranging alternative job for the Hilsha fish catcher when their catching remain prohibited.

The Prime Minister called for value addition in the fish production and processing saying, the food should be ready for cooking or eating. "If we can produce more items, it would contribute to our economy," she said.

Sheikh Hasina also observed huge potentiality of the farming of buffalo, sheep, black Bengal goat in the newly surfaced char areas in the southern parts of Bangladesh.

She also said, there are huge demand of crab, frog, snail and oyster in the foreign countries. So we can cultivate those species and earn huge money through processing and export, she said adding the ministry can play a huge role to increase the export volume of those items.

Sheikh Hasina said, her government is extending support to many programmes for poultry and dairy farming, cow fattening,fish cultivation and others. She asked the officials for strong monitoring of the programmes for their proper implementation.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)