Experts at a workshop on 16 January 2024said that the prospect and potential of Blue Economy is enormous, and it is possible to earn more than $2.5 billion by the year 2030. They urged the authorities concerned to remove the bottlenecks in implementing the policy decision and the masterplan that has already been designed in this regard. The workshop was held at a hotel in Cox’s Bazar. The Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) organized the workshop in collaboration with some government agencies concerned.

Md Shafiqur Islam, Expert, JICA presented keynote paper in the workshop. ERF President Refayetullah Mirdha presided over the inaugural session while ERF Joint Secretary Mizamur Rahman moderated the event. Former ERF Presidents Sharmin Rinvy, Saiful Islam Dilal, General Secretaries SM Rashidul Islam, Md Nurul Islam Khan , Abdur Rahim Haramachi, among others, addressed the workshop.

Describing the potential of ocean resources, the keynote speaker said comprehensive planning and its strict implementation is a must to practically tap the blue economy potentials. Expressing concern over the environmental issues, experts suggested to take serious measures to keep the seashore areas clean and preventing tourists from throwing plastic elements and other wastage and this has to be ensured through enacting laws.

The government has urged JICA to provide technical support in preserving sea fish, to keep them fresh and toxin free. Fisheries Enhancement & Livelihood Project (FELP) is working for better production of dried fish or ‘Shutki’.

Source: https://bangladeshpost.net/posts/blue-economy-can-fetch-2-5bn-by-2030-129513

Today is 21 September 2023; back in 1983, it was my first trip on a commercial fishing boat. I had to be 18 years old to get my “2nd mate ticket”, and even if I had done the equivalence from my Navy one a couple of weeks before while still 17, the day after my b’day (16/9), I was at the Argentinean coastguard (Prefectura) with all the papers.

I had a job lined up as a deckhand in a small coastal trawler of Mar del Plata because while I knew how to take a boat and operate it from A to B, I didn’t know anything about fishing. Thankfully, a skipper (a good man named Braulio who lost his son in the war just the year before) took me under his wing and allowed me to learn from him and many others after him.

This article was published in: INFOFISH International 1/2024

Read more: https://v4.infofish.org/index.php/a-personal-rant-on-the-day-of-my-40th-year-anniversary-in-fishing

Seaweed exports from Sri Lanka supply the fertilizer and food industries mainly in Europe, followed by Asia, with India being the single largest importing nation in the region. Initiatives are being taken to expand the industry but there are some crucial hurdles to address, including adverse climatic conditions, lack of robust parental strains, inadequately regulated purchasing systems, predators, and technical barriers. The potential of seaweed in contributing to livelihood development and empowerment of women in Sri Lanka could be greatly enhanced through technological approaches, ongoing assistance from the government, awareness and promotion sessions, investments, and the creation of a “one-stop-shop approval” system.

This article was published in INFOFISH International Issue No 1/2024

Read more: https://infofish.org/v4/index.php/seaweed-production-trade-and-marketing-status-in-sri-lanka