Bangladesh still lacks skilled manpower and institutional capacity that are required to use modern marine technology, said Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of a conference on coastal and marine environment in the country, the minister said: “We still don’t have the science and technology to use coastal and marine resources. We are behind the Maldives and Thailand in this regard.
“But the biggest need is to create a skilled manpower to use these resources, which would include both scientists and business personnel.”
The two-day conference, jointly organised by Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) and Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN), is being held at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh in the capital.
Addressing the conference, Bapa President Abdullah Abu Sayeed said the country needs development, but not at the cost of the environment.
Later at a plenary session, stressing how important the knowledge of marine science is, Khorshed Alam, secretary (marine science) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the sea is a huge area with diverse resources and woes. “We can do little without the knowledge of marine science.”
He said: “Last year, about eight million tonnes of fishes were caught in the Bay of Bengal, but our fishermen caught only 73,000 tonnes because they don’t know the latest method of deep sea fishing.”
The same knowledge can boost eco-tourism, too, he added.
Wahiduddin Ahmed, economics professor at Dhaka University, said: “There is a conflict between the interest of environment and economic development – not only in our country, but around the world as well. So authentic information and knowledge are needed to bridge the gap between them. The environmental and economic activists should work together to form a vibrant policy based on scientific knowledge.”