The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rajshahi

Speakers at a views-sharing meeting on Sunday urged the farmers to enhance fish production through best uses of the existing natural resources.

They also said, the fisheries sector has been meeting 80 percent demands of the total animal protein and there is no alternative to boost its production to achieve self-sufficiency.

District Fisheries Office (DFO) arranged the meeting at the conference hall of its divisional office aimed at devising ways and means to raise fish output.

In addition to 40 fish farmers, hatchery owners and seed-traders, all the district and upazila level fisheries officials and hatchery managers attended the meeting.

In his address of welcome, District Fisheries Officer Aminul Haque informed that the DFO has set a target of producing 47,197 metric tons of fish during the current year against the last year's attained production of 40,189 tons in the district.

He also said 40,870 hectares of water bodies have so far been brought under the fish farming and 25,168 people are involved for the purposes.

Divisional Deputy Director Shawkat Ali, Senior Upazila Fishery Officer Rafiqul Islam, Hatchery Managers Ruhul Amin and Yeasmin Rahman and fish farmers Rawshan Ali Bachhu and Abdul Wahab addressed the meeting as resource persons.

Taking part in the open discussion, most of the farmers said, due attention should be given on adequate supply of the need-based inputs especially chemical fertilisers for the sake of attaining the fish production target.

They said that they are facing acute fertiliser crisis at present. If the crisis is not met as early as possible, they said, the production would be hampered at a greater extent. In this context, they said, fertilisers are very essential for growing aquatic vegetations for the culture fishes.