Bangladesh: Fish production increases by 50pc in 11 years, PM says

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh announced in parliament on January 20, 2021, during the eleventh session of the 11th Jatiya Sangsad, that Bangladesh has achieved self-sufficiency in fish production, with a 50% increase over the past 11 years. The country is now the world's second-largest producer of freshwater fish, as reported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This achievement is attributed to the government's effective measures, new fish farming technologies, and the invention of seed fish production techniques by the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute. The government's goal is not only to meet the nation's nutrition requirements through increased fish production but also to create a large number of jobs and generate foreign currency by exporting fish. Throughout the fiscal year 2019-20, Bangladesh produced a total of 4.4 million metric tonnes of fish, marking a significant increase from the fiscal year 2008-09. The government's efforts have led to a silent revolution in the fisheries sector, with successful breeding of various fish species and initiatives to prevent extinction of endangered freshwater fish species.