The government has formulated a plan of action for sustainable management of fisheries resources in the Bay of Bengal.
Newly-elected minister for fisheries and livestock Narayan Chandra Chanda came up with the revelation on Monday while addressing a press conference in his ministry's conference room in Dhaka.
He said, "With the participation of the stakeholder a short, medium and long term plan of action has been formulated for sustainable management of the fisheries resources at the Bay of Bengal."
A new horizon of capturing deep and light water fishes has been opened by identifying new fisheries areas with 1,18,813 square kilometres of water boundary at the Bay of Bengal after the historic triumph by the government, he noted.
RV Mean Sandhani, the fisheries research and survey ship, has already identified 176 fish species, 13 species of shrimp and 14 other species of crustaceans and Mollusks, a large phylum of invertebrate animals in the sea, he said.
The survey, according to him, is being continued since December 24, 2016.
The minister said Bangladesh has already been included as a 'pilot country' in the blue growth of economy.
He termed fish production as significant in the country due to initiatives undertaken by the government.
The hilsha production was around 395,000 tonnes in 2015-16 fiscal year and it crossed 500,000 tonnes in 2016-17 whereas the production was only 298,000 tonnes in 2008-09, he added.
Under the social safety net programme, he said, the present government provided a total of 38,187.68 tonnes of rice for 2,38,673 fishermen and each family of fishermen got 40 kg rice every month for four months in 85 upazilas of 17 districts known for Jatka catching during the 2016-17 fiscal year.
According to him, the food grain distribution under the programme was only 6,906 tonnes in seven years to 2008-09 fiscal year when the present government took office.
Besides, he said, the present government distributed a total of 2,34756.96 tonnes of food aid among the fishermen in last nine years between 2008-09 and 2016-17 fiscal years.
He added that the hilsha fish had also achieved the geographical commodity registration certificate with an acknowledgement of Bangladeshi local fish due to the initiative of the government.
About increased production of fishes, the minister said the present government has established 534 fish sanctuaries in different rivers and opened water bodies in the last nine years since 2008-09 as an strategy to restore and increase production of various extinct species of fishes.
As a result, he noted, different species of extinct and rare fish breed including 'Ekthot', 'Teriphuti', 'Meni', 'Rani', 'Gora', 'Gutum', 'Chital', 'Pholi', 'Bamosh', 'Kalibaos', 'Iyeer', 'Tengra', 'Sarphuthi', 'Modhu', 'Pabda', 'Ritha', 'Kazli', "Chaka', 'Gazar' and Baim already have been recovered and are now available in the fish market across the country.
Due to installation of the fish sanctuaries in many parts of the country, he said, Koi, Shing, Magur and Pabda fishes have been available.
On development of the fishermen, the minister said the present government has taken various initiative for the development of the fishermen, adding that "the government has prepared database of some 16,20,000 fishermen till June 2017 and gave identity cards to 14,20,000 fishermen."
The government in addition to this has distributed a total of Taka 289.70 lakh as grant among 587 fishermen's families for causalities due to natural disasters between 2012-13 and 2016-17, he added.