Fish production in the country increased by 1.24 million tonnes in eight years as a result of various programmes taken by the present government.
"We are getting 60 per cent animal protein from the fisheries sector. The government is prioritising the fisheries sector to meet the growing demand of protein," Director General of Fisheries Department Dr Md Goljar Hossain told BSS on Saturday.
He said fish production of the country was 2.9 million tonnes in fiscal 2009-10, which rose to 4.13 million tonnes in 2016-17.
According to Bangladesh Economic Survey-2017, 23.81 per cent of total agriculture income comes from fisheries sector.
The government's target of fish production for 2017-18 is 4.2 million tonnes.
Dr Goljar said, "Both public and private sectors have made contributions to increase the fish production in the country, which is eventually boosting economic progress fulfilling domestic demand."
The major programmes for increasing fish production are the expansion and strengthening of community-based fish cultivation programme, ensuring access of fish cultivators to khas wetlands, taking marshland nurturing programme and release of fish fries to water bodies and promoting innovative technology through research works.
Director General of Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute Dr Yahiya Mahmood told the news agency nearly twenty million people including 14 women directly and indirectly depend on fisheries sector. The fisheries sector creates 600,000 employment facilities every year, he added.
Dr Yahiya said, "We have developed 57 new technologies for promoting and expansion of fisheries sector... These technologies have made a valuable contribution to enhancing fish production." The institute also made an important contribution to prevent extinction of indigenous species of fish, he added.
