Fisheries Department signs MoU with USDA to boost trade of fish, fish products

The Department of Fisheries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States Department of Agriculture funded Bangladesh Trade Facilitation Project on Thursday, outlining a collaborative effort to streamline processes and to share trade information about opportunities and requirements for export markets.

Under the MoU, the organisations will also work to enhance the ability to use scientific methods to ensure food safety and manage risk during the importation of goods for this important, export-earning industry, read a press release.

Kh Mahbubul Haque, director-general of Department of Fisheries and Michael J Parr, country director of Land O'Lakes Venture37 and project director of Bangladesh Trade Facilitation Project, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations at a ceremony held at the Department of Fisheries' building in Dhaka.

Michael J Parr, representing the USDA program, expressed his hope that the collective efforts in implementing the MoU activities will expand opportunities for the fisheries industry of Bangladesh and contribute to its continued economic growth.

Kh Mahbubul Haque thanked USDA for responding to Bangladesh's request to assist government agencies and the private sector in addressing challenges to trade facilitation.

He stated that the next five years are crucial for Bangladesh as the country is graduating from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2026 and hopes that the collaboration between the Department of Fisheries and the Bangladesh Trade Facilitation Project will contribute towards enabling Bangladesh to successfully overcome the challenges of graduation.

The Department of Fisheries is responsible for regulating and promoting the production and national and international trade of fish and fish products as well fish and aquaculture feed. Fisheries officials and scientists inspect import and export consignments, sample and test products, and monitor fish production and storage facilities to provide necessary certifications and licenses.

The Bangladesh Trade Facilitation project is a USDA-funded, demand-driven technical assistance project which is partnering with the Government of Bangladesh in implementing the Category-C measures of the World Trade Organisation's Trade Facilitation Agreement, which cover the trade of agricultural products, including fisheries.

The project aims to expand regional and international trade in agricultural goods by addressing systemic constraints to agricultural trade; simplifying and automating trade procedures; harmonising processes; improving the capacity of government agencies, laboratories; and developing the cold chain system by fostering private and public investment in cold storage facilities and temperature-controlled logistics.