Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim has said that Padma Bridge is a blessing for the southern people and it will bring unimaginable changes to the economy of the region. The minister said this while speaking to reporters after inaugurating the seaweed fair organized by Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) at Tourism Holiday Complex in Kuakata on Friday. The living standards of the people in this area will change due to this bridge, the minister said, adding that the modern aspirations of the people will be fulfilled as well. Read: Out on joyride to visit Padma Bridge, 5 killed in Keraniganj road crash Due to the communication problem, fish, meat, milk, eggs and other agricultural products produced in the region could not reach Dhaka. But now, all kinds of products produced in the south will be able to reach Dhaka very easily, he added. Besides, the processing industry will be established in this region and can be shipped directly abroad. Muhammad Yamin Chowdhury, secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock was present as a special guest at the inauguration ceremony presided over by Yahia Mahmud, director general of Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute.

Dhaka, May 11 (UNB) -- Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim on Wednesday said new technologies are being installed in 10,000 fishing vessels to detect those in the sea.  He revealed the information while speaking at a meeting on fishing ban in the Bangladesh maritime boundary for 65 days from May 20 to July 23 at Matsya Bhaban in the capital.     “The works to install the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) at all commercial fishing trawlers under sustainable coastal and marine fisheries project implemented by the Department of Fisheries are underway,” he said.  Through the installation of VMS and GSM, authorities can identify the position of the licensed fishing trawlers and can monitor these, Rezaul said adding that if fishing vessels violate the rules and regulations, then there will have a chance to take punitive action against those.   He also said none can catch fish in the sea violating the law and the mobile courts will take action against the violators as per the rules.  Also Read: Over 90 lakh cattle sacrificed this year on Eid-ul-Azha: Livestock Ministry On the other hand, it should be considered that no helpless fishermen are harassed, he said adding local administration, navy and coast guard, and river police will take measures considering the situation.   Fishermen will be benefitted from the preservation of the fish and the government is only working for the interest of the fishermen and the common people, he added.      Mentioning that Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) will be provided only to real fishermen during the banning period of catching fish in the sea, the minister said integrated measures should be taken by the Department of Fisheries and Forest Department for preserving fish of the Sundarbans and the fisherman.   Fisheries and livestock secretary Dr. Mohammad Yamin Chowdhury, additional secretary Shyamal Chandra Karmakar, Md. Toufiqul Arif, SM Ferdous Alam, Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation chairman Md. Hemayet Hussain, and director-general of the Department of Fisheries Mahbubul Haque were, among others, present.     

Hilsa, the gastronome's delight, may soon be within the reach of the common people in Bangladesh, if the government is to be believed. According to the fisheries and livestock minister SM Rezaul Karim, the Bangladesh government is trying its best to bring the prices of hilsa down in the country by taking measures to boost production. “The government is working relentlessly to not only cater to the domestic demand but also earning foreign exchange through hilsa exports," he told reporters at a briefing on the occasion of ‘Jatka Conservation Week-2022’ at the Secretariat. Read: Hilsha selling like hot cake in wholesale market Like every year, the government will observe ‘Jatka Conservation Week-2022’ from March 31 to April 6, aiming to create mass awareness on preservation to boost the overall hilsa production, he said. “The importance of hilsa is immense in meeting the nutrition 'needs' of people, creating employment opportunities, keeping the wheels of the economy active and in the financial-social development. Of the total fish production in the country, 12.22 per cent is hilsa,” he added.

Majeda Begum, the mother of Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim, passed away at a hospital in Khulna city on Monday night.

The Fish and Fish Products (Inspection and Quality Control) Bill, 2020 was placed in Parliament, aiming to ensure harsher  punishment for marketing and exporting fish or fish products mixing harmful chemicals.

The 65-day ban on fishing in the Bay of Bengal will begin from Wednesday.

The government will procure some 11.5 lakh metric tonnes of rice (boiled and non-boiled) and eight lakh metric tonnes of paddy during the current Boro season.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim on Sunday said his ministry has taken adequate measures to meet the crisis in fisheries and livestock sectors during the corona pandemic and also after the pandemic.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim on Monday visited Kataban fish and animal market and directed the shop owners not to be cruel to pet animals during the global pandemic.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim on Wednesday said the government has taken all necessary steps to address the crisis of milk, eggs, fish and meat during the ongoing precarious situation caused by the coronavirus.