Govt to ensure free fishing in open waters

The government will ensure that genuine fishermen unrestricted access to fish in all open water bodies to protect the livelihoods of fishing communities, particularly those living in the haor (wetland) regions, State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku said.

He made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists at the Netrokona Circuit House on Friday. The state minister said the present government is committed to establishing the legitimate rights of genuine fishermen.

Referring to the principle, “The water belongs to those who own the nets,” he said adding the government has ensured that genuine fishermen can fish freely in the country’s open water bodies so they can earn their livelihoods without hindrance while strengthening the sustainable management of the country’s fisheries resources.

Referring to the problems created by the leasing system, he said that influential people had long used lease arrangements to occupy haors and other water bodies and prevent ordinary people from accessing them. The government has taken legal initiatives to remove all such barriers so that local residents and fishermen can freely catch fish and sustain their livelihoods.

The state minister further said that the late President Ziaur Rahman had once introduced a nationwide canal excavation programme. Continuing that vision, his worthy successor, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, has already undertaken and inaugurated various programmes for dredging rivers and canals, maintaining navigability and ensuring the proper management of water bodies. As part of these initiatives, re-excavation of numerous rivers and canals is being carried out across different parts of the country.

He added that the government has already taken several effective measures to preserve river navigability, prevent public suffering caused by waterlogging and make water bodies more suitable for fish cultivation.

Also present were State Minister for Railways and the Road Transport and Highways Division Habibur Rashid, MP; Member of Parliament for Netrokona-4 (Madan-Mohanganj-Khaliajuri) and former State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar; senior officials of the district administration and police administration; and leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its affiliated organisations.