Zaker ALi Shuva
The contribution of the fisheries sub-sector to the economic development of agriculture-based Bangladesh is very important and promising. More than 12 percent of the total population of the country depends directly or indirectly on the fisheries sector for their livelihood. The people of the country are currently consuming 62.58 grams of fish against the average requirement of 60 grams per person per day. To increase the supply of meat at the grassroots level, the government is taking a series of groundbreaking steps on the fisheries sector. Which is recognized and appreciated in the world today. Moreover, 85 percent of the world’s hilsa production is in Bangladesh. Apart from sea fish, the government has emphasized on fresh water fish. As a result, lakhs of tons of fish are released every year in various open water bodies of the country.

On Tuesday (August 27) various ponds and natural water bodies, local species of fish fry have been released under the implementation of Kumarkhali Upazila Fisheries Department of Kushtia District. In the fiscal year 2024-2025, under the revenue budget, 429 kg of fry fish have been released in 12 institutional and open water bodies under the initiative of Upazila Fisheries Department in Khas, government-institutional water bodies, monsoon-flooded paddy fields.

Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer Md. Mahmudul Hasan said that the fish species released in the institutional reservoirs and open water bodies are Rui, Katla, Mrigel and various carp species have been released.

Md. Abdul Bari said that the district fisheries officer thinks that the production will be less than last year. He also said that we have released fish in open water bodies through experiments. No reports of deaths or spoilage have been received so far.