Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has called on citizens to protect nature to conserve Bangladesh’s fisheries resources, warning that indiscriminate environmental damage is threatening fish species across the country.

“Let us learn to honour nature, let us learn to be kind to nature,” Yunus said while inaugurating National Fisheries Week 2025 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka on Monday.

Describing fish as both a gift of nature and a blessing from Almighty Allah, he noted that habitats are being destroyed and water bodies polluted by unchecked waste dumping. 

“People do not pay heed to the consequences, but in return this waste comes back to us as poison,” he warned.

Highlighting both the potential and the challenges of the fisheries sector, Yunus stressed that fishermen should be included under social safety net programmes to protect them from financial hardship.

On marine resources, he said the sea offered immense opportunities for Bangladesh but remained largely untapped. 

“The marine fisheries sector can create a new Bangladesh,” he said, urging research into deep-sea fishing and calling for the subject to be introduced into university curricula.

Yunus also underlined the importance of halting excessive pesticide use and tobacco cultivation, which harm aquatic ecosystems. 

He added that unplanned infrastructure, declining river navigability, and climate change were further straining the sector, warning that many indigenous fish species are already disappearing due to mismanagement of water bodies.

Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Secretary (Routine Duty) Md Tofazzel Hossain, and Director General (Current Charge) of the Department of Fisheries Dr Md Abdur Rouf also addressed the event.

At the ceremony, 16 individuals and organisations received the Matshya Padak 2025 for their contributions to the fisheries sector.

National Fisheries Week 2025, launched nationwide on Monday, aims to promote the sustainable development of fisheries resources and raise awareness of conservation. 

This year’s theme is “Building sanctuaries makes the country rich with local fish.”

SMS/