Key Highlights
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No pressure involved in sending hilsa to India during Durga Puja, says Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter.
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1200 metric tons of hilsa permitted for export to India this year, less than half compared to last year.
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11,000 metric tons of hilsa to be exported to Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries for expatriates.
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Successful conservation efforts ensured a 52% spawning rate for mother hilsa in October.
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Authorities taking steps to stop illegal jatka (juvenile hilsa) fishing by India and Myanmar.
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Hilsa supply in Bangladesh has declined this year, but initiatives to sell hilsa at affordable prices are underway.
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Livestock initiative: Four districts (Bhola, Sirajganj, Pabna, Manikganj) to be fully covered under vaccination to eradicate LSD (Lumpy Skin Disease).
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Meeting attended by district administration officials, NGO representatives, and civil society members in Kurigram.
Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter has clarified that Bangladesh sends hilsa to India during Durga Puja not under any pressure, but rather as a gesture to maintain harmony between the two neighboring countries. She made the remarks while speaking to journalists after a discussion meeting with local administration officials, NGO representatives, and civil society members at the Kurigram District Administration Conference Room on Monday afternoon.
Hilsa Export to India During Durga Puja
The Adviser explained that some of her earlier comments were misinterpreted in the media. For the past six years, hilsa has been exported to India during the Durga Puja festival. She said,
গণমাধ্যমে ইতোমধ্যে যে কথাটি এসেছে তা সেভাবে বলিনি। গত ৬ বছর ধরে দুর্গা পূজার উৎসবে ঘিরে ভারতে ইলিশ পাঠানো হয়। সে দিক বিবেচনায় একটা উৎসবে যখন প্রতিবেশী দেশ থেকে অনুরোধ আসে, সেই অনুরোধে সাড়া দিতে আমরা সম্প্রীতি বজায় রাখতে ভারতে ইলিশ দিচ্ছি।
Translation: I did not say what has already been said in the media. For the last 6 years, Hilsa has been sent to India around the Durga Puja festival. Considering that, when a request comes from a neighboring country during a festival, we respond to that request by sending Hilsa to India to maintain harmony.
She further said,
ভারত ৩ হাজার মেট্রিক টন ইলিশের অনুরোধ করলেও, এ বছর ১২০০ মেট্রিক টন ইলিশ রপ্তানি করার অনুমতি দেওয়া হয়েছে, সেটিও কতটুকু নিতে পারবে দেখার বিষয়। এ ইলিশ গত বছরের তুলনায় অর্ধেকেরও কম।
Translation: Although India has requested 3,000 metric tons of hilsa, it remains to be seen how much it will be able to take, as it has been allowed to export 1,200 metric tons of hilsa this year. This is less than half of last year’s hilsa.
Hilsa for Middle Eastern Countries
Responding to requests from expatriate Bangladeshis, the government has also taken steps to export 11,000 metric tons of hilsa to Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries this year. Highlighting conservation success, the Adviser added that in October, during the breeding season, Bangladesh achieved a 52% spawning rate of mother hilsa, resulting in a significant increase in hilsa production. She said,
প্রবাসী বাংলাদেশিদের অনুরোধে এ বছর সৌদি আরবসহ মধ্যপ্রাচ্য দেশগুলোতে ১১ হাজার মেট্রিক টন ইলিশ পাঠানোর উদ্যোগ নেওয়া হয়েছে। এছাড়াও আমরা অক্টোবর মাসে মা ইলিশের প্রজনন রক্ষায় আমরা খুব সফল ভাবে করতে পেরেছি। প্রজননের হার ৫২ শতাংশ হয়েছিল। ফলে প্রচুর ইলিশ কিন্তু হয়েছে সফল ভাবে।
Translation:At the request of expatriate Bangladeshis, initiatives have been taken to send 11,000 metric tons of Hilsa to Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia this year. In addition, we were very successful in protecting the reproduction of mother Hilsa in October. The reproduction rate was 52 percent. As a result, a lot of Hilsa was successfully produced.
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He again said,
আমাদের নিষেধাজ্ঞার সময় ভারত ও মায়ানমারের জেলেরা জাটকা ধরে, সেটি কিন্তু গত বছর আমাদের কোস্টগার্ড সফলভাবে বন্ধ করেছে। তবে এ বছর জাটকা নিধনের ফলে ইলিশের উৎপাদন কম হওয়ায় বাজারে সরবরাহ কমে গেছে। তবে এ মাসেই দেশের কিছু জায়গায় সাশ্রয়ী মূল্যে ইলিশ বিক্রির উদ্যোগ নেওয়া হয়েছে।
Translation: “During our ban, fishermen from India and Myanmar caught jatka, but our Coast Guard successfully stopped it last year. However, this year, due to the killing of jatka, the supply in the market has decreased due to low production of hilsa. However, this month, initiatives have been taken to sell hilsa at affordable prices in some parts of the country.”
The Fisheries Advisor said,
গবাদি পশুকে এলএসডি (লাম্পি স্কিন ডিজিস্ট) মুক্ত করতে ৪টি জেলা- ভোলা, সিরাজগঞ্জ, পাবনা, মানিকগঞ্জকে সম্পূর্ণরূপে ভ্যাকসিনের আওতায় আনা হবে।
Translation: To make cattle free from LSD (lumpy skin disease), 4 districts – Bhola, Sirajganj, Pabna, and Manikganj – will be fully vaccinated.
Meeting Attendees
The meeting was attended by:
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Sifat Mehnez, Deputy Commissioner of Kurigram
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Dr. Swapan Kumar Biswas, Civil Surgeon
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Moktadir Khan, District Fisheries Officer
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Dr. Md. Habibur Rahman, District Livestock Officer
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Abdullah Al Mamun, Additional Deputy Director of Agricultural Extension
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Masud Rana, Additional Superintendent of Police
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Along with other officials from the administration, NGOs, and civil society representatives.
Source: Samakal
