Boosting fish output pointless without food safety measures: Adviser Farida

Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter on Tuesday said increasing fish production is meaningless without ensuring food safety, warning that while expanded agricultural activities have boosted fish supply, they have also created serious food safety challenges.

"If fish produced through aquaculture is not safe, then it cannot truly be called fish—we must keep this in mind. That is why food safety must be prioritised above all," she said while inaugurating the 10th Biennial Fisheries Conference organised by the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Forum (BFRF) at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) auditorium in the morning.

Farida said fish is a vital source of nutrition, providing essential micronutrients, calcium and other nutrients that support eye health, bone strength and cognitive development. She added that fish-based dietary habits have played an important role in the intellectual development of the Bengali people.

Referring to marine fisheries resources, the adviser said Bangladesh has yet to utilise the full potential of the sea, with only about 30 percent of marine resources currently being exploited. Even within this limited utilisation, she said, multiple problems persist.

She pointed out that artisanal and industrial trawlers operate on different fishing routes, while certain technologies used in industrial trawlers have raised new concerns.

Fishing methods that involve going to sea seven times to catch fish only once are unacceptable, she said, adding that using SONAR (sound navigation and ranging) technology to harvest all fish in a single trip also cannot be considered appropriate.

Farida said it was recently learned that around 70 of the 223 industrial trawlers are using SONAR technology, increasing the risk of overfishing. She stressed the need for effective policies to address these challenges.

As part of key government initiatives, she said a decision has been taken to update the National Fisheries Policy. While some reforms have already been introduced to fisheries laws, further additions are necessary, she said, expressing her intention to implement them during her tenure.

The adviser also voiced concern over the use of harmful fishing gear, saying previously used equipment is being modified into forms that damage the environment and biodiversity. She noted that fishing using electric shocks has also been reported, calling the practice completely unacceptable.

She said there is disparity in incentive support for fishers, noting that compared to the agriculture sector, fishers receive inadequate assistance. During fishing ban periods, insufficient support often forces fishers to unintentionally violate regulations, she added.

Farida said hilsa breeding and migration are being severely disrupted due to the combined impact of reduced river navigability, pollution and climate change.

"Hilsa is not just a fish; it is a national asset. Like dolphin conservation, hilsa protection should be part of a global movement," she said, adding that obstacles along hilsa migration routes have been identified and requests have been made to the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) for necessary dredging through coordinated efforts.

At the conference, WorldFish Bangladesh Country Representative Dr Faruk-Ul Islam presented the keynote paper, while FAO Representative in Bangladesh (interim) Dr Dia Sanou attended as a distinguished guest.