It will not be advisable to export hilsa in the next 5-yrs: Minister
Of the 64 endangered local fish species, 24 have been brought back in various forms, he said
Fsheries and Livestock Minister S M Rezaul Karim has said the government is not considering exporting hilsa, the national fish of Bangladesh, in the next five years.
"It will not be advisable to export hilsa in the next five years as we want to give many in the villages the opportunity to have their fill of ourdelicious national fish. Only then will we think of exporting hilsa,'' he said.
The minister was briefing the media at his Secretariat office in the capital on Wednesday to mark the completion of an era of the Awami League government, led-by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
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He said that thanks to proper management, the government had achieved remarkable success in hilsa production in the last 12 years. The measures includedestruction of illegal nets, hilsa research, ban on hilsa fishing during breeding season, ban on jatka capture (juvenile hilsa fish) and stopping its smuggling, and air patrolsfor protection of mother hilsa.
Highlighting the development of the fishery sectorin the last 12 years, the minister said "Bangladesh has topped the list amongst hilsa-producing countries in the world, is fourth in tilapia production, third in inland water fish, and fifth in farmed fish production."
Of the 64 endangered native fish species, 24 have already been brought back in various forms, he added.
Rezaul Karim said, "Under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh is now the source of wonder in the world. Despite facing six natural disasters, the country has attained a unique stature in the globe. We have also achieved great success in Covid-19 pandemicmanagement.''
"In terms of Bangladesh's development, the average per capita income is now $2,064, foreign exchange reserves have exceeded $43 billion. Bangladesh has moved to a developing country from a least developed one. The high-speed Bangabandhu satellite was launched in less than 50 years," he also said.
The minister spoke about the multiple accomplishments achieved under her leadership, including formulation of a long-term development plan, GDP growth, and set-up of 100 special economic zones. Padma Bridge, Nuclear Power Plant, Payra Port, Metro Rail and Matarbari Deep Sea Port are all under construction.
Karim was hopeful that the Bangladesh would be the 21st largest economy in the world by 2035,thanks to the Prime Minister's transformative leadership.
