Aimed at bolstering fish abundance and increasing overall fish production, the Land Ministry has transferred 779 water bodies, locally known as Jal-Mahal or ponds, in Sirajganj and Pabna districts to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Land and the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock in accordance with the Jal-Mahal Management Policy, 2009, at the Meeting Room of the Ministry of Land at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
Land Ministry Joint Secretary Delwar Hossain Matubbar and Fisheries and Livestock Ministry Joint Secretary Mohammad Anwar Hossain signed the MoU on behalf of their respective ministries.
Present at the signing ceremony were key officials, including Md. Abbas Uddin, Additional Secretary of the Land Ministry; Md. Abdul Qayyum, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock; and representatives from both ministries.
Under the initiative, the Department of Fisheries, operating under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, will undertake strategic measures to enhance fish productivity in these ponds through scientific methods and renovations.
Fish cultivators under local cooperative societies will receive training from the Fisheries Department as part of these efforts. The entire project will be executed under the banner of "Community-based Fisheries Resource Management in Nimgachi Area."
The programme is anticipated to not only meet the domestic demand for fish but also generate foreign exchange by exporting palatable indigenous fish species produced domestically.
This initiative aligns with the government's broader goal of optimizing the country's vast potential aquatic resources to improve the socio-economic conditions of local communities, particularly those facing economic challenges.
Currently, more than 39000 water bodies under the Land Ministry generate over Tk 100 crore annually through leases, with the harvested fish and other aquatic animals playing a crucial role in meeting the country's protein needs. The success of this programme is expected to further strengthen the dependency of a significant number of people on these water bodies, creating a positive impact on both local livelihoods and national economic prospects.