Marine fisheries department takes initiative to save Bay of Bengal

Marine Fisheries Department has taken an initiative to bring the waste of 250 commercial fishing trawlers to the shore instead of dumping it in the Bay of Bengal, which will play a vital role in preventing pollution of the sea.

According to the officials concerned, this initiative, which has been underway since January this year, will save the sea from pollution by about 25 metric tons of non-perishable materials annually.

The sea is being polluted by food packets, especially polythene and plastic, and even torn and shredded fishing nets, which sailors regularly throw into the sea. Currently, the sailors are bringing them to shore, which is being overseen by Md Faruk Hossain Sagar, assistant director of the Marine Fisheries Department.

Md Abdus Sattar, director of the department, said, "The sailors of commercial trawlers take food in polythene and plastic packets while going for fishing in the sea. In most cases, these packets are thrown into the sea after eating. But these packets are non-perishable products. In addition, if fishing equipment, especially torn nets, are thrown away after use, the sea is polluted, which is destroying the biodiversity of the sea and the food chain of fish."

"Moreover, various diseases are caused in the human body due to plastic entering the human body through fish. We have to come out of this situation. The initiative will make the sea pollution-free", he hopes.

>>Sheikh Mahtab Hossain, AA