A high level policy workshop, held in Dhaka recently urged for greater support for fisheries and aquaculture sector in Bangladesh. The workshop was held in connection with the dissemination of a comprehensive study on the supports received by the aquaculture sector in Bangladesh. The study was carried out by Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation in collaboration with Department of Fisheries and support from the Ministry of Commerce and SwissContact-Katalyst.
Kazi M. Aminul Islam, Executive Chairman, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority was the chief guest on the occasion. Mr. Syed Mahmudul Huq, Chairman of BSFF presided over the workshop proceedings and besides, discussants from the Government, academia, financial institutions, professional bodies, development partners and stakeholders in the sector, the occasion was addressed also by Mr. Hedayetullah Al Mamoon, former senior secretary, MoC & Finance, Mr. Eunusur Rahman, Senior Secretary, Financial Institutions Division, Mr. Shubhashish Bose, Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Mr. Md. Azizul Alam, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Ms. Quamrun Nahar Ahmed, Additional Secretary, Financial Institutions Division, Mr. Tapan Kanti Ghosh, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Dr. Md. Nazrul Anwar, Additional Secretary (Fisheries), MOFL, Mr. A F M Shariar Mollah, Member (Tax, Export, Bond & IT), NBR, Syed Arif Azad, Director General, DOF, Mr. GB Banjara, General Manager, Katalyst, Mr. Md. Nurul Amin, Managing Director, Meghna Bank Limited, said a statement.
The workshop was told that the future growth in fisheries and aquaculture sector, will play an important role in the achievement of SDGs in the Bangladesh context. Affordable fisheries products may lead to significant improvement in the nutrition, protein intake and dietary diversity as in many other developing countries. It was also highlighted that for the full potential of fisheries and aquaculture sector to be realized, significant investment will be required in infrastructure, meeting the credit needs of fish farmers, especially the small fish farmers, increasing the availability of good seed and feed at affordable cost as well as disease management.
The workshop participants strongly emphasized that the need for increased public sector investment for this important sector of the Bangladesh economy should be main streamed in the policy making and budgetary process. They also highlighted the need for training in Good Aquaculture Practices, introduction of enhanced bio-security measures and solution centric research and implementation of research findings in the field. They also called for greater government - private sector and government - development partner cooperation to meaningfully carry forward development interventions for the sector.
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