Fisheries and Livestock Sector Gets Tk 3,392cr Allocation
Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed today proposed to allocate Taka 3,392 crore for the fisheries and livestock sector in the financial year 2025-2026 (FY26) which was Taka 896 crore less from the previous budget (FY2024-2025). The finance adviser said this while presenting the proposed national budget for FY26 in a pre-recorded speech broadcast on Bangladesh Television (BTV) and Bangladesh Betar. In the budget of FY 2024-25, the allocation was Taka 4,288 while it was Taka 3,858 in revised budget of FY 25, Taka 466 crore less than the proposed budget. "To develop fisheries and livestock alongside the agriculture sector and ensure food security, I propose to allocate a total of Taka 39,620 crore for Agriculture, food, and fisheries and livestock in FY2025-26, which was Taka 38,259 crore in FY2024-25," the finance adviser said in his budget speech.
Considering the protein demand of the country, a target has been set to produce 52,55,000 tonnes of fish in FY2025-26. The interim government has been making relentless efforts to develop the fisheries and livestock sector to meet the demand of animal protein and ensure food and nutrition security, he added. To meet the growing demand of safe animal protein in the country, an action plan has been taken to develop sustainable varieties of fisheries, livestock and poultry as well as achieve desired production through disease control, the adviser continued. According to the report of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024 of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Bangladesh ranked second in producing fish in inland open water capture production and fifth in the World Aquaculture Production (WAP).
Bangladesh also ranked first among the 11 Hilsa producing countries in the world and fourth in tilapia, a globally popular fish species, production. To increase the production of freshwater fish, the government has issued a directive to stop all types of fishing in haor areas from May 29 to June 28 every year. Special combing operations are being conducted to remove prohibited/illegal fishing nets. All types of fishing have been banned in the maritime waters from April 15 to June 11 every year. During the holy month of Ramadan this year, milk, beef, chicken and eggs were sold at affordable prices through mobile sales centers. In addition, vaccines for lumpy skin disease, avian influenza and goat pox have been invented to protect livestock. In the medium term, initiatives have been taken to modernize fish farming through mechanization of commercial fish farms and expansion of automated production systems, strengthening sustainable management of marine fisheries resources to develop the blue economy and produce diversified fish and fishery products.
