It will be possible to produce additional 600,000 tons of hilsa, if jatka (hilsa fry) is properly conserved, Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim has said.
Hilsa is the country's most delicious fish certified internationally with the geographical indication (GI), he said while attending a workshop as chief guest in the capital on Monday, organized marking the Jatka Conservation Week 2022.
The workshop, titled “Tolerable Extraction in Hilsa Resource Development and Jatka Conservation Management”, was arranged by Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council.
Joining virtually from his Bailey Road official residence as the chief guest, Rezaul Karim said Bangladesh is the highest hilsa producing country in the world.
"If only jatka is preserved, we will be able to take the opportunity to extract additional 600,000 tons of hilsa. That is why we all have to be careful in protecting jatka," he said.
The fisheries minister said hilsa production was 2.98 tons in fiscal 2008-09 and it increased to 5.65 tons in fiscal 2020-21 due to the implementation of the government's hilsa management strategy.
During the tenure of the present government, he said, the size of hilsa has become more balanced due to jatka and hilsa conservation and protection of hilsa sanctuaries.
Hilsa of different sizes are available in the market almost all the time, he said, adding that even hilsa are now found during winter.
Rezaul Karim said: "Because of timely and practical steps taken by the government, we have been able to produce huge amount of hilsa and even in winter season we have the opportunity to get hilsa".
