DHAKA: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wednesday has stressed on fish cultivation to ensure nutritious food for a large number of people and meet their protein demand as well as create employment prospect.  

The premier made the assertion while addressing prize giving ceremony of ‘Jatiya Matshya Padak-2014’ at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre. 

“Production of fish will not only ensure protein of large number of people, but also will reduce unemployment rate in the country,” the premier said.

Hasina also said every fish cultivator should increase cultivation of native fishes besides foreign species.

She said, “Bangladesh is the largest delta region in the world. We initiated many efforts to increase fish cultivation. More research activities are going on this,” 

The PM said her government has taken many steps to boost facilities for fishermen including forming fish hatchery act, providing micro credit facility in this sector and forming policy to produce shrimps.

Government has started capital dredging in River Jamuna to cultivate fish by increasing navigation. It also dredging Pashur river and adjacent Sundarbans canals for fish cultivation, she added.

Hasina mentioned maritime boundary win with Myanmar and hoped that Bangladesh will win the next verdict dispute with India which is scheduled to deliver by one week.  

BDST: 1217 HRS, JUL 02, 2014/updated 1212 hrs