Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid on Sunday said the government has a plan to create an accurate database of genuine fishermen across the country.
Replying to a tabled written question from ruling party lawmaker Md Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas from Pabna-5 in Parliament, he said the government is also planning to bring abandoned and derelict water bodies under fish cultivation through renovation and restoration initiatives.
The minister informed the House that the number of registered fishermen in the country currently stands at 1,803,565.
He said the Department of Fisheries regularly prepares fishermen’s lists and issues fisher identity cards as part of its routine activities.
“Verification, scrutiny and updating of fishermen’s databases are currently underway nationwide in accordance with the Fishermen Registration and Identity Card Issuance Guidelines-2019,” Aminur said.
“Registration of genuine fishermen is continuing in line with the guidelines, and the number of registered fishermen in the country has now reached 1,803,565,” he added.
The minister further said work is in progress to formulate a project aimed at expanding fish farming through the biological management of all water bodies across the country.
He noted that once approved, the project will facilitate the restoration of abandoned and defunct water bodies, increasing their water-retention capacity and significantly enhancing fish productivity.