The domestic fish production in Bangladesh has been steadily growing for several years with significant impact on GDP growth and ability of the country to meet the nutritional needs of its citizens.
The country is, however, yet to start reaping the benefits from fish wastes producing an important range of byproducts using those as raw materials.
The prospect in this regard is very bright with the country presently generating almost a million tons of fish wastes annually and they are hardly used systematically for further processing, reports BSS.
These were the points specially highlighted by the specialists and experts attending recently a policy dialogue in the city.
The policy dialogue on “Creating Value for Waste: How to Reduce and Utilize Fish/Shrimp Wastes” was organized by Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation (BSFF) in collaboration with Department of Fisheries (DOF), UN University-Fisheries Training Program (UNU-FTP)/Matis, Iceland, Bangladesh Marine Fisheries Academy and Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters’ Association under Agri-business Trade Competitiveness Project (ATC-P) of Business Promotion Council, Ministry of Commerce supported by Swiss Contact.
Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman, advisor to the former caretaker government attended the dialogue as the chief guest. Chaired by Syed Arif Azad, Director General, DOF, the dialogue was moderated by Syed Mahmudul Huq, Chairman, BSFF.
It was participated by French Ambassador in Bangladesh Ms. Sophie Aubert, former Director General of Asian Development Bank and Executive Director BRAC Institute of Governance and Development Dr. Sultan Hafeez Rahman, Eminent Economist Prof. Dr.Mohammad Ali Taslim, Additional Secretary of Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Anisur Rahman, Senior Vice President of Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters’ Association Md. Golam Mostafa, Swiss Contact Katalyst’s Head of Sectors GB Banjara, UN FAO Food Safety’s International Food Analysis Expert Dr. Sridhar Dharmapuri, among others.
The speakers suggested that instead of discarding the heads, frames, skin, scales, fins, liver, viscera, tails, guts, shells, legs etc. of fish and shrimps as wastes, these should be handled as food grades for use as raw materials for different by-products like fish meal, fish oil, pet feed, cytosine, or chitin etc.
The Chairman, BSFF in his opening remarks mentioned that they have taken the initiative to launch a campaign to create value for the shrimp and fish wastes in order to harness its potential to create jobs and generate additional income for the stakeholders in the value chain.
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Anisur Rahman and Director General of Department of Fisheries Syed Arif Azad assured their fullest support to this initiative.
