(BSS) - Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter has inaugurated the ‘fish landing centre improvement work’ here today.

Inaugurating the work the adviser said it’s a timely and important step to expand new opportunities for the people engaged in fish production and fishery businesses.

The improvement work of the fisheries landing centre of BFDC in Cox’s Bazar is not only the foundation laying of a structure, but symbol of a big economic and social uplift of the country, she said.

It will open a new era in the livelihood of thousands of people engaged in fishing and fishery business, she noted.

Farida Akhter said the export of fish and its quality has been improved in recent years but 20 to 25 percent of catching fishes are damaged in lack of preservation, transportation and processing facilities.

Farid said the Bay of Bengal is a huge reservoir of resources for us. We have about 1,18,813 square kilometers of maritime boundary as Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), but our fishing area is limited.

There are as many as 475 spices of sea fishes, more than 36 types of shrimps, high quality weeds and corals, different medicinal animals and ingredients, natural gas and minerals might bring revolutionary changes in our economy, she said.

“Our Sea is our future,” the adviser said adding that our fisheries sector could be the main sources of our foreign currency earnings in future if we can take the sector forward through proper planning, scientific policies and sincere efforts,” she added.

Under the project a modern jetty, ice production and preservation facilities, garbage management and hygienic fish handling system will be constructed to facilitate preserving fishes maintain high quality.

The centre will also ensure the fair price of the fishes helping farmers to earn more as well as creating local employment, she said.

The adviser extended her sincere thanks to JICA and Japan government for providing assistance to Bangladesh for long time in the areas of health, education, infrastructure and agriculture sectors.

She also expressed her hope that the JICA would continue its cooperation in the development of environment friendly technologies, costal development and blue economy of Bangladesh.

The function was addressed, among others, by acting secretary to the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry Tofazzal Hossain, Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Saida Shinchi, chief representative of JICA’s Bangladesh office Ichiguchi Tomohide, Director General of the Fisheries Dr Md Abdur Rouf, Director General of Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute Anuradha Bhadra and Chairman of the BFDC Suraiya Akhter Jahan.