To make Bangladeshi fish known abroad for its taste, the country must improve fish quality, use modern technology and raise fishers' skills alongside production, Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mia said on Monday (9 November). He was speaking as chief guest at the opening of a training programme for fishers in Chattogram.
The rivers and sea of Bangladesh hold many tasty fish species with great potential in international markets, the deputy commissioner said. Using that potential would raise fishers' incomes, improve their lives and benefit the national economy.
Tastes and food habits are changing, and the new generation likes different things, so production should be planned around which species are in demand at home and abroad, he advised. Raising output alone is not enough; taste and quality must be assured too.
Stressing technology, he said more fish from less space, the right choice of feed and better farming methods can move the sector forward. In his view, traditional fish farming and catching could change greatly in the next five to ten years, and Bangladesh will fall behind in international competition if it cannot keep pace with technology. "We have to keep up with the machines," he said.
He asked fishers to take the initiative to apply what they learn in training, and every farmer to plan how to produce more than the year before. Since not everyone can be trained directly, he urged trainees to share their knowledge with other fishers.
He thanked fishers who risk their lives on stormy seas and meet a large share of the country's protein needs. The district administration plans scholarships for the brightest children of fishing families, he said, and is working on a merit-based standard for them.
The report is by Banglanews24's staff correspondent.
Photo: Moheen Reeyad / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Source: Banglanews24
Comments
(0)