Additional 4.8 lakh tonnes of hilsa produced in 6 yrs

Jatka Preservation Week Begins Today
Additional 4.8 lakh tonnes of hilsa produced in 6 yrs
An additional 4.83 lakh tonnes of hilsa worth Tk 12,075 crore has been produced in the last six years since the government started implementing jatka (hilsa fry) preservation programme.
Around five lakh fishermen are directly involved in catching hilsa in rivers as well as sea and 20 lakh people are engaged in processing hilsa for export.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Biswas said this at a press conference organised by the ministry at Matsya Bhaban in the city yesterday on the eve of Jatka Preservation Week 2010.
In a message on the occasion, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said this is the best time to take all-out steps to protect jatka to increase hilsa production.
“Contribution of hilsa fish to the national economy is enormous,” she added.
The fisheries minister will inaugurate the week today and distribute VGF cards among the fishermen, who will be affected due to protection of jatka, under food support programme.
Although netting of jatka is banned according to Fish Protection Act since 1950, the law could not be implemented at different times earlier due to a number of reasons.
The minister said jatka protection programme is being implemented at 91 upazilas under 20 districts.
The programme was started in 2003-04 fiscal, he said, adding that the production of hilsha was 1.99 lakh tonnes before the programme.
Latif said they have also been implementing a project to rehabilitate those fishermen who are involved in catching jatka and have allocated Tk 2 crore to 18,355 beneficiaries.
The allocation for the programme in the current fiscal is Tk 2 crore, he added.
The government has been giving food support to 1,64,740 fishermen at 59 upazilas under 10 districts.
Every family has been receiving 30 kg food per month, the minister said, adding that the food support programme was started in February and will be continued until May.
They have also started a project titled ‘Jatka Protection, Alternative Employment and Research Project’ at 20 upazilas under four districts, including Chandpur, Laxmipur and Patuakhali.
The total project cost is Tk 22.88 crore which will run for five years aimed at increasing production of hilsa, building awareness of preserving jatka and creating alternative sources of income.

Courtesy of The Daily Star