Dhaka: To increase fish production and promote the abundance of fish, the Ministry of Land has undertaken the initiative to transfer 779 water bodies (ponds) in Sirajganj and Pabna districts to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock. On Tuesday (November 14), a memorandum of understanding on this matter was signed between the Ministry of Land and the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, following the Water Body Management Policy of 2009.
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Land, Md. Abul Bashar Uddin, and Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Md. Abdul Kaiyum, along with other officials from both ministries, were present at the signing ceremony held in the conference room of the Secretariat. Delwar Hossain Matubbar, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Land, and Muhammad Anwar Hossain, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, signed the memorandum on behalf of their respective ministries.
The Fisheries Department under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock will undertake scientific methods to enhance fish production by managing these ponds. The Fisheries Department will also provide training to fish farmers associated with local cooperative societies in the respective areas. These activities will be implemented through the project titled “Community-Based Fisheries Resource Management in Nimghashi Area.”
Upon successful implementation of these initiatives, it is expected that the country will be able to meet the demand for fish domestically and earn foreign currency through the export of high-quality indigenous fish. The optimal utilization of the vast potential of aquatic resources in the country will also contribute to the socio-economic development of the local fishing communities.
It is worth mentioning that the lease of more than 39,000 water bodies under the Ministry of Land generates revenue of over 100 crore taka annually, and the income from these water bodies helps fulfill the demand for fish and other aquatic products in the country. The diverse population of the country is significantly dependent on various aspects of water bodies.
