Scientists at the coveted Sylhet Agricultural University (SAU) have embarked on a research to analyse the value chain system in dry fish production as well as the impact of climate change on the industry as a whole.

A team, led by Arif Billah, a postgraduate student of the SAU's fisheries technology and quality control department, has started the research under the National Science and Technology Fellowship Bangladesh.

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"The impact of climate change on the production of dry fish and the future challenges will be the main focus of our research in the Sundarbans. This is because Katka in the southwest and Hiron point in the southeast are both disaster-prone areas," Arif told UNB.

Prof Motahar Hosain of the department will supervise the research.

“Every year, fishermen go to Dublar Char to catch fish by putting their lives at risk during the dry fish processing season. Our main motive is to find out the impact of climate change on the industry and its challenges. Besides, we also want to do research on the quality of the dried fish processing in Dublar Char to begin with,” he said.

Already the team has visited the Dublar Char dried fish processing area and gathered primary information from people who work in the sector.

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There are some 450 small and big canals in the Sundarbans, where fishermen from across Bangladesh gather to catch fish during the season every year. Dry fish is a delicacy in this country.

The forest department aims to generate Tk 3.22 crore from the dry fish processing area this fiscal, the same it achieved in the previous financial year.