Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim today said that the government is determined to harness the potential of the ocean-based economy to build a developed and prosperous Smart Bangladesh.

The minister made the remarks while addressing as the chief guest at a function marking the passing parade of cadets of the 42nd batch of Marine Fisheries Academy in Chattogram on Wednesday morning.

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“Realising the importance of marine resources, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman established the Marine Fisheries Academy in 1973. He enacted the Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act in 1974. Later, due to the diplomatic foresight and firm role of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, our sovereign rights were established in 1,18,813 sqkm of maritime waters. This has opened new horizons for the ocean-centric economy,” he said.

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“The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock is implementing various activities to explore, conserve, and sustain the fisheries. The ministry has formulated the Marine Fisheries Act, 2020, the Marine Fisheries Harvesting Policy, 2022 and the Marine Fisheries Rules, 2023. The National Plan of Action is being implemented to stop illegal, unregulated, and uncontrolled fishing in the sea,” the minister also said.

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Through the Marine Fisheries Academy under the ministry, skilled manpower is being continuously created through training on exploration, extraction, processing, and sustainable conservation and use of marine resources. This skilled and trained manpower is playing an effective role in the development of the blue economy through the extraction of marine resources, he added.