Invest in marine resources to meet growing demand of seafoods: PM Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (18 July) urged the local and foreign entrepreneurs to come up with investment in extracting the marine resources as Bangladesh is determined to strengthen its ocean economy amid the growing demand of seafood in the world.

"I would like to call upon all the local and foreign investors to come and invest in Bangladesh and use these (marine) resources in a larger way," she said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of Bangladesh International Aquaculture and Seafood Show-2024 at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city.

Bangladesh exports a wide variety of marine fish, Hasina said, adding, "I strongly feel the need to increase seawater fish production."

She said Bangladesh has a huge potential to make its blue economy more prosperous.

"I think we need to pay more attention to how we can extract and use our deep sea resources. We want to take our country forward using marine resources because the demand for seafood is increasing all over the world," she said.

She said the more Bangladesh can use these sea resources, the faster Bangladesh can move forward.

"Our local and foreign investors can jointly find the investment scopes and invest in extracting the marine resources here," she said.

The PM said the investors will get all kinds of support from Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) as Bangladesh offers many facilities for them.

Pointing to the foreign investors, she said they can easily take their dividend back as the government has made the bank transactions much easier. They can take advantage of the offshore banking account here.

She stressed the need for maintaining the international standard in fish items to enhance the export earning from the sector.

"We must pay special attention to testing and packaging to enhance fish export. We are currently doing so," said the premier.

She said Bangladesh strictly maintains the highest quality in fish production, preservation, testing and export chain to ensure the supply of marine quality products. The government has already set up testing laboratories.

"We have three good laboratories," she added.

PM asks young generation to engage in fish production

The prime minister asked the young generation to pay attention to fish production and preservation, receiving training on it as they can take loans from SME foundation for fish cultivation.

"I hope our youth society will come forward in a larger way," she said.

She said the research on generation of hydroelectricity from seawater continues now in Bangladesh and hoped the country would be able to gain success here as well.

Noting that Bangladesh has an 80-mile (124-km) long sandy sea beach in Cox's Bazar, the government would make it a more attractive destination for tourists.

The prime minister said the government will construct Mirsarai(Bangabandhu Economic Zone)-Cox's Bazar-Teknaf marine drive.

When the marine drive is constructed, the sea beach will be protected and it'll simultaneously reduce the damages caused by the tidal surges and natural disasters, she said.

The prime minister opened the two-day international aquaculture and seafood show.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdur Rahman presided over the function, while Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Fisheries and Livestock Ministry SM Rezaul Karim, Managing Director of Germany based Planquadrat Martin Geskes, President of Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association Kazi Belayet Hossain and Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Sayeed Mahmood Belal Haider spoke on the occasion.

In the event, an audio-visual presentation was screened focusing the potentials of the aquaculture and seafood industry of Bangladesh