Bangladesh is a riverine country. There are innumerable rivers, canals, beels, haors, ponds, etc. in different parts of this country. These reservoirs are rich in different species of fish. Fish is our favorite food. That is why we are called Bengali in fish and rice. The fish of Bangladesh earns a lot of foreign exchange by meeting the demand of the country and exporting it abroad. Earlier, a lot of fish could be found in this country but now its quantity is decreasing day by day. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to these resources by considering socio-economic progress, prosperity, self-employment, etc.
Fisheries resources of Bangladesh
Although not developed in the fisheries industry, Bangladesh is rich in fisheries resources. Bangladesh is known as the largest deltaic region in the world. There are different types of fish in different water bodies of riverine Bangladesh. Which makes a huge contribution to our national economy. Large quantities of fish are extracted every year from the inland and marine reservoirs of Bangladesh. About 10 percent of the people of the country make a living directly and indirectly through fishing, marketing and trade. Fisheries are about 5% of the gross national product of Bangladesh. Bangladesh produces a lot of fish every year. According to the report titled The Global Aquacuture Production Statistics for the year 2011 published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2013, Bangladesh ranks fifth in the production of farmed fish. Annual fish production in Bangladesh is 15,24,000 tons. China is the world's largest producer of farmed fish.
Types of fish:
There are two types of fish available in our country. Namely- fresh or freshwater fish and salt water fish. Hilsa is the main marine fish. Hilsa is our national fish. There are also Laksha, Rupchada, Shrimp, Lobster, Shark, Poya, Vetki, Coral, Boal etc. Among the freshwater fish are Rui, Katla, Mrigel, Chital, Ayr, Boal, Pangas, Kalbaish, Shoal, Gajar, Koi, Magur, Mala, Shrimp, Pabda, Tilapia etc.
Fisheries of Bangladesh:
Rivers, canals, beels, ponds, haors, estuaries and sea areas of Bangladesh are the main fisheries areas of Bangladesh. About 250 species of fish are found in the fisheries sector of Bangladesh. According to the field of fish production in Bangladesh, they are divided into two parts. (A) Inland fisheries. (B) Marine fisheries. (A) Inland or freshwater.
Fisheries
The rivers, canals, beels, ponds, haors, paddy and jute fields and estuaries of Bangladesh are called inland fisheries. The area of inland fisheries is about 1 crore 30 lakh 35 thousand 600 acres and the number of fishermen is about 6 lakh 72 thousand. The following is the production of Bangladesh's internal fisheries sector-
Year 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Domestic Fisheries 25.15 lakh metric tons 26.73 lakh metric tons 26.71 lakh metric tons Source: Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock. -
1) Open water bodies: There are about 40.25 lakh hectares of open water bodies in Bangladesh. These include rivers and estuaries, Sundarbans, beels, Kaptai Lake, floodplains. In 2012-13, fish production from open water bodies was about 9.53 lakh metric tons.
(2) Closed reservoirs: Dighis, ponds, baor ponds etc. of Bangladesh belong to this category of fisheries. There are about 6.41 lakh hectares of closed water bodies in Bangladesh. In 2012-13, the production of fish from closed reservoirs was about 16.28 lakh metric tons.
Internal Fisheries:
There are inland fishing centers in different parts of Bangladesh. Such as Dhaka's Sowari Ghat, Kajla, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Chandpur, Jamalpur, Sirajganj, Pabna, Kishoreganj, Madaripur, Sylhet, Netrokona, Rangamati, Khulna, Patuakhali etc. districts are notable internal fisheries centers of Bangladesh.
(B) Marine Fisheries: Bangladesh is very rich in marine fisheries resources. Of the 465 fish species, only 133 have been discovered. Of which 42 species have been included in the trade. Due to the lack of skilled fishermen, capital, necessary equipment, equipment, large ships, etc., it is not possible to fish a large part of the fisheries. The marine fisheries of Bangladesh can be divided into two parts viz.
1) Coastal Fisheries: About 632 km in Bangladesh. There are coasts. Although fish farming is not widespread in the coastal areas, unplanned shrimp farming has become widespread.
(2) Deep sea fisheries: 320 km from the coast in accordance with international law. Bangladesh's maritime boundaries extend to the deep sea. The deepest part of it is rich in fisheries resources.
Marine Fisheries Center
Notable marine fisheries centers in Chittagong region are Teknaf, Maheshkhali, Sandwip, Cox's Bazar, Kutubdia, Sonadia and Hatia, Dubla Island in Sundarbans area, Rangabali, Baishadia etc.
Importance of fisheries resources in the economy of Bangladesh: Fisheries resources are one of the most important resources of Bangladesh. The contribution of fisheries resources to the total national production of the country is about 5 percent. 4.38% in terms of export earnings.
The importance of fisheries resources is highlighted below-
Fish as food
It is called Bengali in fish and rice. Without rice and fish, our food is not satisfied. As a result, fish is in the food every day. Fish contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, mineral salts, vitamins A and D.
Current status of fisheries resources
Since independence, Bangladesh has earned a lot of foreign exchange by exporting fish. Quality frozen shrimp and fish products are exported from Bangladesh to other developed countries including United States, United Kingdom, Japan, France, Hong Kong, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Sudan. From which Bangladesh earns a significant amount of foreign exchange. The following is the growth and contribution of GDP from fisheries resources of Bangladesh-
Growth Rate% Year 2011-12 2012-13 Fishery Resources 5.39 5.52 Contribution Rate% Year 2011-12 2012-13 Fisheries Resources 4.39 4.38 Source: Economic Survey of Bangladesh 2013 Problems or Deterioration of Fisheries Industry Being. The following are the reasons for the deterioration of fisheries resources-
- The amount of fishing area is decreasing due to the fall of char in the river. As a result, the number of fish is decreasing.
- People are building houses by filling river canals and beels day by day. As a result, the habitat and reproduction of fish is disrupted.
- A lot of fish die as a result of using a lot of pesticides in the land.
- Due to lack of rain in time, the river water dries up.
- Dimwala and pona fish are being killed unplannedly from the river.
- Fish die due to contamination of water by industrial wastes.
- Many fish rot every year due to lack of necessary measures for conservation.
- Many fish are lost due to marketing difficulties.
Steps taken for the development of fisheries resources
Everyone needs to have goodwill for the development of fishery resources in Bangladesh. Fish farming is being severely affected every year due to lack of water. For this, Ganga and Teesta water sharing agreements are needed for proper water supply. Moreover, river dredging has to be done to save water. Eggs and fry should be avoided. We have to move away from fishing with dams in the river. Air-conditioned transport should be arranged for fish conservation. Above all, it is necessary to set up necessary training centers to impart modern rules to the fish traders and to increase the number of fisheries experts.
Government efforts
The government is making various efforts to develop fisheries resources. For this the government has set up a separate department. Moreover, fishermen are providing loans on easy terms to buy boats and nets. Large rivers, canals and beels are being settled with the fishermen through the association. Besides, cold storages and harbors have been constructed for fish conservation. Fisheries Research Center and Fisheries Training Center have been set up for the development of fisheries industry. Above all, the government is taking various measures to develop fisheries resources.
We are Bengalis in fish and rice. Therefore, in order to improve the fishery resources, it is necessary to improve these resources keeping in view not only the domestic demand but also the foreign demand. The sincere efforts of all those who need to keep the wheel of the country's economy in motion and turn fishery resources into sustainable resources.
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