Siddiqur Rahman Khan, NewAge, August 4, 2008. Dhaka, Bangladesh
The government will formulate a national shrimp policy to expedite shrimp farming through developed technology sustainable in the local socioeconomic, cultural, and environment conditions.
According to a draft of the National Shrimp Policy 2008, it is going to brand shrimp a cent per cent foreign exchange earning good, besides encouraging and promoting public initiatives and private investment in shrimp cultivation, processing and export.
Talking to New Age last week, a fisheries and livestock ministry official said, ‘Recommendations made by the private sector and export-oriented associations and individuals would be given priority in the proposed shrimp policy.’
‘If a planned farming of shrimp is introduced the per-hector production and income would increase by two to three times,’ he said. ‘The proposed policy will come into force within a short while.’
At present, 2.17 lakh hectors of land and about 1.5 crore people are engaged in shrimp farming in the country, according to official statistics available with the fisheries and livestock ministry.
The draft shrimp policy has also proposed introducing practical education on shrimp farming in science textbooks at primary and secondary schools while steps will be taken to create opportunities of getting higher education on the subject at local and international level.
