Bangladesh Navy has earned the gold medal in the" National Fisheries Award 2019" in recognition of its outstanding contribution to Bangladesh's fisheries resources and marine fisheries management.
Bangladesh Chief of Naval Staff Aurangzeb Chowdhury formally received the award from Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina at a programme held in Dhaka's Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Navy Headquarters Director (Operation) Commodore Mahmudul Malek highlighted the navy's various contributions to the development of country's fish resources during a briefing held at the Naval headquarters in Dhaka on Thursday.
"Average yield of hilsa production has increased by 5.3% in the last ten years thanks to 'Operation Jatka' and 'Ma Hilsa Reservation Campaign' by Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard.
"Around the year in Bangladesh's inland rivers and coastal areas, they performed their duties timely and effectively, following government's direction to prevent illegal seizure of hilsa," said a media release from the Inter Service Public Relation (ISPR).
As a result, Bangladesh's hilsa catch is currently the largest in the world, In fact, over two-thirds of the world's hilsa is caught here for commercial purposes.
It is to be noted that the total production of hilsa in Bangladesh was 0.313 million metric tons in 2008-2009, which increased to 0.517 million metric tons in 2017-2018, which is about 12% of the country's total fish production, and at current prices is worth around Tk20,000 crore .
Hilsa's contribution to Bangladesh's GDP is about 1%.
Due to the regular and effective operation of the navy, it has been possible to export the country's hilsa abroad and ensure the sufficient supply of the fish in the local market.
In order to protect national resource "Hilsa," the Bangladesh Navy has been operating 'Operation Jatka' and 'Ma Hilsa Reservation Campaign' since 2001. Five to seven ships of Navy are deployed in the country's inland river and sea coastal areas throughout the year.
As a result, it has been possible to recover huge quantities of illegal nets and boats as well as fish fries.
In the last 2018-2019 fiscal year, the Navy seized illegal nets, boats and hilsa fries known as "pona" worth approximately Tk338 crore as part of "Operation Jatka" and "Ma Hilsha preservation campaign."
