GAZIPUR. July 6: The coun-ais expected to produce 50 h tonnes more fish per year through rice-fish culture In about one million hectares of flood-prone paddy fields available in the country, reports BSS.

This was revealed at an interim review meeting on the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) sponsored project on sustaining and increasing the productivity of fish-rice in the seasonally flooded ecosystem of South and Southeast Asia held today at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) here.

The project Is being implemented in two Asian countries — Bangladesh and Vietnam. The project is being executed in Bangladesh by the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI). BRRI, and Proshika Human Development Centre with the tecluucal cooperation from the Philippines based International Centre for Living AquaUc Research Management (ICIARM) and International Rice Research Institute (BRRI).

The interim review meeting was attended by about 52 scientists from different Asian countries Including Vietnam, India. Sri Lanka and the Philippines besides host Bangladesh.

The inaugural session was presided over by Director General of BRRI Dr. MA Hamid Miah while Dr Nigel Brett of IFAD, Dr. Mahbub Hossain of IRRI, Dr Madan Mohan Dey of ICIARM and Dr MA Mazia of BRRI took part in the discussion.

The participants presented the findings of the projects available so far and the future plan of action for 1998-99 period to achieve the target of the taka 39 lakh project to be completed in three years.

The overall objectives of the project is to develop sustainable resource management system in the deep water rice ecosystem through action research.

It also aimed at integrating indigenous resource management techniques with semi-intensive rice-fish culture.

In Bangladesh, the project has been implemented in three sites — Kuliarchar of Kishore-gonj. Brahmanbaria, (Sadar) and N^ail (Sadar) .since June. Iasi year. ,

iihe Scientists. . in-.' Bangladesh expressed the opinion that through traditional and semi-integrated process 500 kg of fish can be produced per hectare in rice fields available in the country.

Besides the Inaugural session four technical sessions were held today.

The participants will go for a field trip to Kuliarchar tomorrow.