DHAKA, May 05, 2021 (BSS)- Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim today said that no one will be spared but brought under purview of law who are disrupting the production of the country’s fisheries resources.
“The government will do whatever necessary to increase the country’s fishery resources. In the meantime, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock has taken various steps to increase the production of Hilsa and other fisheries resources. All these steps of the government have brought revolution in the fish production in the country. If anyone wants to create obstacles and hinder this success, they will not be spared and strict measures will be taken against them,” he said.
The minister made the remarks while addressing a view exchanging meeting with the naval police officials organized by the River Police at the Naval Police Headquarters in city’s Gulshan area as the chief guest.
He mentioned the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock has taken various steps such as establishment of fish sanctuaries, conducting of 22 days of mother Hilsa conservation campaigns, banning of Jatka fishing for eight months from November to June every year and conducting of regular operations including special combing operations for Jatka conservation, banning fishing for 65 days at sea, releasing fish fry, arranging monitoring system to ensure reproduction of mother carp in Halda(the only natural fish breeding center in the country), stopping fishing in May-July to increase fish production in Kaptai Lake and adoption of 5 years plan to protect fisheries resources.
He added, “Combined efforts are at the root of a country’s great success.”
Due to the concerted efforts of all, the production of the country’s fisheries has increased to over 45 lakh metric tons at present, he said.
River Police as a whole has played a very important role in this joint effort, he said, adding that in this work, the River Police had to deal with influential people, illegal fishermen and illegal net producers and trawler-owners.
The minister also thanked the members of the River Police for their commitment to conservation and development of fisheries resources with professionalism and at the same time requested them to further expand their roles in this regard.
With Deputy Inspector General of Police Md Atiqul Islam in the chair, the meeting was attended, among others, by Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Raunak Mahmud, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Shyamal Chandra Karmakar and Director General of the Fisheries Department Kazi Shams Afroz as special guests.