RAJSHAHI, Jan 19, 2020 (BSS) – Time-fitting initiative has been taken to
protect the endangered fish species through establishing 50 new fish
sanctuaries and renovating 150 other existing ones in Rajshahi division.
Step has also been taken to boost production of fish along with
enhancing its productivity and habitat development through establishing 1,860
demonstration farms and 80 beel nurseries after re-excavation of those.
The promotional activities are being done with intervention of a four-
year project titled “Fisheries Development Project in Rajshahi Division” at
present.
Department of Fisheries (DoF) has started implementing the Taka 47.47-
crore project in 65 Upazilas in all eight districts of the division, said
Kamrul Hassan, Director of the project.
Around 2,000 distressed fishermen will be engaged to various alternative
income generation activities in phases for reducing overfishing in the
natural water bodies besides employment generation for them with the ultimate
goal of improving their socio-economic condition.
Kamrul Hassan said generating more scopes of improving living and
livelihood condition and poverty reduction of the marginalized population,
employment generation for the youths and transferring modern technologies
among the fishermen are the salient features of the project.
Training, seminar and workshop will be arranged for the beneficiary
farmers in 1,472 batches for transferring modern technologies among them.
A total of 240 Kuchia demonstration farms will be established for making
the ethnic minority people self-reliant through boosting the production of
Kuchia.
480 farms for demonstration of various small fish species including
Shing, Magur, Gulsha and Pabda while 480 farms for demonstrating Koi, Tilapia
and Pungus will be set up for production expansion of the tasty and high
market valued fish species.
The project has also provision of 180 cage and pen fish farming
demonstration for the best uses of the open water bodies through promoting
cage fish culture coupled with capacity development of the people living
alongside the river banks.
As a result of establishing new sanctuaries and renovation of the
existing ones, production of the native fish species will be enhanced side by
side with revitalizing the endangered ones.
Requisite number of beel nurseries will be established for boosting fish
production to meet up the gradually mounting protein demands. Fish production
will be enhanced to five to six tonnes per hectare through infrastructure
development in natural water bodies together with transferring of modern
technologies among the farmers.
In phases, 62,000 beneficiary fishermen will be imparted training on
modern fish farming technologies aimed at building their capacities.
Project Director Kamrul Hassan mentioned that climate change, employment
generation, biodiversity conservation and sustainable uses of updated
technologies are the main challenges towards implementation of the project.
He also said the project is intended to protect the endangered fish
species through installation of fish sanctuaries and habitats.
Upon successful implementation by December 2022, the project, as a
whole, will play a vital role towards improvement of the fisheries sector
leading to achievement of the sustainable development goals.