Need for growers’ motivation towards safe fish farming

BSS, Rajshahi :Speakers at a training session here Saturday underscored the need for safe fish farming besides promoting its production through the best use of hygienic fish feed alongside the existing natural resources.They viewed that safe fish production and its marketing has become a big challenge at present and this is the high time for facing the challenge collectively.In addition to the administrative measures, time has come to forge social resistance against the manufacturing of adulterated and unhygienic fish meals, its marketing and use of formalin in fishes.All quarters like fish farmers, hatchery owners, fish sellers, fish meal manufacturers and sellers and the field level fisheries officers and staff should work together to this end. There is no alternative to substantial and sustainable promotion of good aquaculture practice, they added.The observations came at the inaugural session of a five-day training course for the trainers styled “Good Aquaculture Practice” held Ashrai Training and Resource Center in the district.Bangladesh Aquaculture Alliance (BAA) organized the training in association with Bangladesh Economic Growth Project and Business Promotion Council under the Ministry of Commerce.District Fisheries Officer (DFO) of Rajshahi Golam Rabbani, DFO of Sirajgonj Harendra Nath Sarker, Regional Fisheries of Cox’bazar Nurul Amin, BAA Director Sadequallh Chowdhury and Abdul Malek, Scientific Officer of Ministry of Commerce, spoke on the occasion.Assistant Director of Department of Fisheries, Saidur Rahman chaired the session.Referring to the immense prospect of the fisheries sector the speakers said safe fish production could easily be increased to a great extent if the natural resources were utilized properly.They said the traders can keep their fishes live for a good number of days if they adopt some simple techniques instead of using formalin.They recommended providing the farmers with latest scientific technologies and knowledge for producing quality fish fries and fingerlings for more fish cultivation.They called for involving more people in fish farming for the sake of meeting the protein demand as fish fulfill at least 60 percent need of the animal protein especially of the poor and marginal communities.More than 30 peoples representing Department of Fisheries, Fisheries Department of Rajshahi University, farmers’ community and feed mill companies from different districts under Rajshahi division are taking part in the course.