Dhaka: Putting emphasis on protecting natural sources and breeding place of fishes, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said attention will have to be given so that fishes could procreate without fear and disturbance.

"Let us come to retain our progress by ensuring optimum use of all natural resources," she said

The Prime Minister called upon all concerned to give more attention so that none could catch fish fry and egg-bearing mother fishes during their breeding time in the rainy season.

She also stressed the need for creating more awareness about the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides as well as unplanned waste management, construction of roads and embankments to check squeezing of reproduction, physical growth and breeding ground of the fish.

The Prime Minister was addressing at the inaugural function of the 'National Fisheries Week 2013" held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital in the morning.

The Directorate of Fisheries and the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (MOFL) jointly organized the function.

The theme of this year's fisheries week is "Machey Machey Bhorbo Desh, Gorbo Sonar Bangladesh (country would be abundant in fishes, so that we could build a golden Bengal).

Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Biswas presided over the function, while Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock M Abdul Hai and Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Uzzwal Bikash Dutta spoke on the occasion.

The Prime Minister called upon all concerned to follow rules while extracting fish from the sea and give importance to set up fish processing industries. "The fish processing industries would help create employment and fetch foreign currencies," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said after assuming office this time, her government has taken the policy 'Jaal Jaar Jola Taar' (those who belong to fishing nets are the owners of waterbodies) and framed and implemented the National Waterbody Management Policy 2009.

Besides, she said, the work on registration of fishermen and providing of identity cards to them are progressing fast to reach the government incentives and assistance to the real fishermen and establish their rights in the waterbody (Jolmohal).

She mentioned that her government has implemented various programmes in last four and a half years for the socioeconomic development of the real fishermen through introducing new technologies in fish cultivation and sustainable preservation system of fish resources.

The Prime Minister said production of Hilsha fish has stood at 3.47 lakh metric tonnes by increasing 50,000 MT thanks to implementation of Jatka protection projects in 21 districts and setting up of five safe regions for Hilsha.

About shrimp export, the Prime Minister said her government has solved the problem with the European Union which stopped importing of shrimps from Bangladesh due to forgery of the previous BNP-Jamaat government.

She said the government allocated 87,069 MT foodgrains for the fishermen in the last four and a half years, which was only 6,901 MT during the seven- year rule of the BNP- Jamaat government and the subsequent caretaker government.

Sheikh Hasina said per head allocation of food for the fishermen has been raised to 30 kg from 10 kg, while the duration of the food assistance has been increased to four months from three months.

She said three international standard Fish Quality Control Laboratories have been set up in Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna, while a Shrimp Research Centre has been established in Bagerhat to ensure exports of quality shrimps.

Sheikh Hasina said that exports of fish and fish products have been increased to 26.87 percent and earnings have been raised by 45.03 percent in the last four and a half years due to proper steps of the present government.

She said her government has been implementing 202 projects through its own funds to face the negative impact of climate change.

"The country's only natural breeding place of the Ruhi fish, the Halda River, has been declared as a fish sanctuary," she added.

Sheikh Hasina said the government has turned Bangladesh Fish Development Corporation into a profit-making organization.

"A Fishery Diploma Institute has been set up in Chandpur, while the work on establishing such institutes in Gopalganj, Kishoreganj and Sirajganj is underway to build a skilled and trained manpower in this sector," she said.

She said the government has finalized the process for procuring research and survey ships in cooperation with the IDB and the Malaysian government for the sustainable management of the resources," she said.

With the procurement of the ships, she said, the stocks of the fish resources of the entire coastal area including the extended maritime boundary could be known.

Earlier, the Prime Minister handed over gold medals to five organizations and persons and silver medals to 15 organizations and persons for their special contribution to the fisheries sector. She also distributed token identity cards, first of its kind in the country, among nine fishermen.

Later, Sheikh Hasina opened the National Fisheries Week-2013 by releasing fish fries at the Ganobhaban pond at Sher- e-Bangla Nagar in the capital.

Ends/AMA/02/07/13