Country exports 28,531 MT of fish in '98-99

Bangladesh exported 28,531 tonnes of fish during the 1998-99 financial year, Minister for Fisheries and Livestock A S M Abdur Rob said in the Jatiya Sangsad yesterday, says BSS.

Replying to a question from Kazi Sirajul Islam of Awami League (Faridpur), he said the government earned Tk 750 crore by exporting fish during the July-November period of 1999. It was 50.27 per cent of the total export target of 1999-2000 fiscal, he added.

The minister said the government has also undertaken several projects for fish production in the country as well as the socio-economic development of the landless, marginal and small fish farmers through various incentives.

Referring to the already approved Tk 300.35 crore 4th fish project funded by the World Bank, Rob said an additional one lakh tonnes of fish would be available in the country annually after implementation of this project.

"The total number of beneficiaries of this project is expected to be 10 lakh people who will be integrated into both the financial and organisational cooperation," he said, adding that fish fry under this project would be stocked on at least 60,000 hectares of flood plains.

He said that another Tk 109.34 crore IFAD-funded project was already being implemented in eight districts of the country's mid-western zone to produce an additional 3,000 tonnes of fish per annum.

The minister said 750 hectares of ponds and 750 hectares of large water bodies will be developed for the projects in the districts. The number of beneficiaries of the project will be 12,000, he added.

Rob said a Tk 100 crore Credit Guarantee Fund, decided at the first meeting of the National Committee on Fish and Shrimp chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in September 1998, was now under process for implementation.

The fund was floated for the landless, marginal and small fish farmers of the country, he said, adding 15 projects were now in different phases of implementation for the rapid growth in the country's fish production.

The projects are: Fisheries extension project in Mymensingh (2nd phase), Patuakhali and Borguna districts fish cultivation extension project, Greater Noakhali district fish cultivation project, Thana-level fish cultivation project, Food-aided coordinated fish cultivation and development project, North-West fish cultivation extension project (2nd phase), Lobster hatchery development and cultivation technology extension assistance project, National package programme for entrepreneuership development project for fish cultivation, Rural development project in the fisheries sector under food aid, Fisheries training and extension project (2nd phase), Development extension method by evaluation of the existing projects, Project on assessment of flood-related damage to fisheries and livestock sector, Fish cultivation project in Joboi Beel in Naogaon district, Fish production and development project in waterbodies and flood plains under the new waterbodies' policy and Shrimp cultivation development programme.