The National Fisheries Week begins today (Saturday) with the aim of making the country's people more aware of and involved in increasing safe fish production.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave separate messages on this occasion.
The Prime Minister will officially inaugurate the week-long programme as the chief guest virtually from her Ganabhaban official residence at the capital's Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) at 10am on the day.
She is scheduled to release fishes at a lake of Ganabhaban tomorrow (Sunday), the second day of the fisheries week.
The slogan of this year's fisheries week is "Nirapad Mache Bharabo Desh, Bangabandhur Bangladesh (Let the Country be Filled with Safe Fish and Build Bangabandhu's Bangladesh)."
On the occasion, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock has chalked out different programmes at central, district and upazila levels.
On the first day of the week-long programmes, a rally will be held at 8am on Saturday at the capital's Manik Mia Avenue.
A colourful naval rally will be held at 4pm at the city's Hatirjheel on the day.
Besides, Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim will hold a press conference at Matsya Bhavan at 10am in the same day.
District, hill district and upazila committees have been formed to implement the field-level programmes.
Apart from this, as part of the central programme, a three-day central fish fair will be held on the premises of the BICC.
The fisheries week will end on July 29.
The fisheries sector is playing a vital role in the socio-economic development of the country, as it contributes 3.52 per cent to the national GDP and more than one-fourth (26.37 per cent) to the agriculture GDP, according to the department of fisheries.
The sector insiders suggested that the government continue its support in order to increase the growth of fisheries for the benefit of the country and its people.
Production of different varieties of fishes has increased in the country over the last decade, thanks to the government's prudent and effective policy.
Bangladesh produced over 4.503 million (45.03 lakh) tonnes of fishes during fiscal year 2019-20 (FY '20).
Of the total fish production, aquaculture accounts for 57.38 per cent, according to the department of fisheries.
Bangladesh has become self-sufficient in fish production and supplements about 60 per cent (with per capita of 62.58 gram/day against targeted 60 g/day) of total daily animal protein intake of the population, it said.
The country earns a considerable amount of foreign currencies by exporting fish, shrimp and other fisheries or fishery products.
The fisheries sector contributes 1.39 per cent to the total national export earnings.
Bangladesh earned Tk 39,851.50 million by exporting almost 70.95 thousand tonnes of fish and fishery products in the FY '20, according to the sector insiders and the government's ministry concerned.
Bangladesh ranked 3rd in inland open water capture production and 5th in world aquaculture production, the fisheries department said.
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