POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Apr 9, 2023 : The then Soviet Union gifted 10 sea fishing trawlers to Bangladesh in 1972. Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) started commercial fishing with them for the ‘first time’ in the Bay of Bengal. They used to sell sea fish in different districts including Dhaka.
Out of those 10 there are now 8 trawlers. 3 of them are useless. The remaining 5 were leased long ago by BFDC, through which they got rid of fishing in the sea.
As fishing in the sea has stopped, the arrival of fish in the fisheries landing centers of the Fisheries Development Corporation is decreasing. Declining ice production. Processing of fish for export at processing centers under the corporation is also on the decline. Meanwhile, they are involved in selling fish in Dhaka. Construction and repair of fishing trawlers increased the scope of factories or dockyards.
Fisheries Development Corporation is also in profit. They do not have to take subsidy from the government. However, the stakeholders of the fisheries sector feel that the broad objectives of the Fisheries Development Corporation are not being fulfilled.
The objectives of the Fisheries Development Corporation in the 1973 Act are to take measures for the development of fisheries and fisheries, establishment of fisheries, establishment of units for harvesting of fish, development of a more integrated system for the equitable utilization of fisheries resources, provision of advance loans to fisheries and fishermen co-operative societies, survey and exploration of fisheries resources. Taking measures, research on methods of fishing, processing, transportation, preservation and marketing, establishment of institutions for export of fish and fish products etc.
On March 27, I went to the office of BFDC in Karwan Bazar of the capital to talk about the extent to which these goals have been met, but I was not allowed to meet the chairman of the organization, Kazi Ashraf Uddin. He is Director (Finance). Fazlul suggested talking to Haque. Fazlul Haque did not want to talk about the matter officially.
Asset value is Tk 1,100 crore
Fisheries Development Corporation was established in 1964. Then the name was East Pakistan Fisheries Development Corporation. After independence it was renamed Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation. According to an audit of June 2020, the immovable assets of BFDC are around Tk 1,100 crore. There are also movable assets of around Rs. 90 crores.
BFDC’s major sources of income are rent of land, buildings, warehouses and dockyards, proceeds from fish sales and landings, water sales, interest against bank deposits, etc. They have rented a large part of their head office in Dhaka’s caravan market.
The annual report of the organization says that in the financial year 2021-22 they have made a profit of Tk 11 crore 36 lakh. According to the data for the financial year 2020-21, the organization has a workforce of 288 people. 443 posts are vacant.
Fish arrival is decreasing
The major function of BFDC is to manage fish landing centres. They have 17 fish landing centers in different parts of the country. These centers have been set up to trade, store and process fish caught and farmed from open water bodies. They are actually fish hides. The fish landing centers are rented out by the Corporation to the fishermen. There is no direct involvement of the Corporation staff in the activities of fish landing, conservation and wholesale market. Some manpower is engaged in operating the ice mill and office operations at the landing center.
According to the annual report of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, BFDC had eight landing centers in the financial year 2018-19. In that fiscal year, 26 thousand 178 tons of fish were landed in these centers. In FY 2021-22, the number of landing centers increased to 17. But the fish landing decreased to 24 thousand tons.
Seven of BFDC’s fish landing centers have been constructed in the last five years. Corporation officials said four landing centers are yet to be operational. One of these is Sunamganj Fish Landing Centre. Its construction started in 2018, said the people concerned. Ended in June 2021. But not launched yet.
The fish landing center has been built on one acre of land on the banks of Surma river in Wejkhali area of Sunamganj town. 9.5 crore rupees have been spent. On Saturday afternoon, it was seen that the fish landing center on the side of the Sunamganj-Sylhet regional road has an auction tent, packaging center, warehouse, ice mill, office and dormitory and electricity substation. They are lying empty.
The concerned persons also said that fish traders have been approached several times to start the centre. They took the initiative to come. But he did not come. The activities did not start because the traders did not come. There is another fish trap nearby.
Office Assistant Arun Chakma is found in the dormitory of the landing center. He told Prothom Alo that there is an ice mill operator and two security personnel besides him at the landing center. The manager will join next month.
When the officials of Parerhat Fish Landing Center in Pirojpur, Mahipur Fish Landing Center in Patuakhali and Bhairab Fish Landing Center in Kishoreganj were contacted by phone, they said that they cannot be opened because the fishermen do not want to go. There are other problems.
Alipur Fish Landing Center in Patuakhali, Ramgati Fish Landing Center in Laxmipur and Mohanganj Fish Landing Center in Netrokona are not functioning well. There are already private fish landing centers in these places, people take more fish from them.
