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Fish hatchery law on cards

Sohel Parvez
The government is set to introduce a law to bring discipline and accountability in fish hatchery industry that has grown sporadically in the last couple of decades, a senior official at the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry said yesterday.
The forthcoming law. 'Hatchery Ordinance 2008' is expected to enforce licensing of the hatcheries, for which the hatcheries will be needed to comply with certain requirements such as the presence of aeration, pump or tube-well, hatchery shed, environmentfriendly waste disposal and storage facility.
Without registration none of the hatcheries will be allowed to operate, according to the draft of the ordinance, in which recommendations from various stakeholders are being incorporated.
“We want to bring the sector under a legal framework in order to ensure quality,” said the official seeking unanimity.
The official said the ministry wants to place the draft ordinance before the Council of Advisers by next one month for approval.
“We hope that the law will help ensure quality of the produce," he said.
The government moves to formulate a rule for hatcheries at a time when cultured fish
constitute major portion of country's total annual fish production. Hatcheries meet almost all the demands of shrimp and prawn industry, the main export-earning sector after garment and knitwear.
At present, some 58 shrimp hatcheries supply about 800 crore to 1,000 crore shrimp spawn to meet the demand in shrimp farming, which usually takes place in the country's south-western coastal belt.
In addition, about 30 fresh water shrimp and some curp hatcheries are also meeting demand for cultured fish, sector insiders said.
Industry people said these hatacheries were established sporadically in absence of any
set rules. In many cases, owners of the hatcheries set up their plants only on trade licences.
"There has been no accountability in the sector. The proposed ordinance will help ensure accountability as well as disciplined growth of the hatcheries,” said Main Uddin Ahmad, president of Shrimp Hatchery Association ofBangladesh.
Main Uddin also said the rules regarding hatcheries will be of help for ensuring quality production of spawn.
The draft law has also laid down separate requirements for setting up shrimp and curp hatcheries.
sohel@thedailystar.net