Mymensingh Correspondent

Sharing best practices would be the key for Bangladesh and the ASEAN countries to strengthen collaboration in the sustainable aquaculture and fisheries sector.

Foreign Secretary Ambassador Masud Bin Momen made this remark on Sunday (3 March) while speaking at the inaugural session of the international workshop titled ‘Towards sustainable Aquaculture: An ASEAN Bangladesh Initiative on Antibiotic Stewardship, Good Practice and Cluster Farming’ held in Hotel Silver Castle in Mymensingh.

The session was attended by among others, Heads of ASEAN Missions in Dhaka, Representatives of the Food and Agricultural Organization, top bureaucrats, policymakers, researchers and participants from ten ASEAN countries and Bangladesh.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Fisheries and ASEAN Secretariat has organised the three-day seminar to strengthen cooperation between Bangladesh and ASEAN in the field of fisheries and aquaculture.

The experts in this field from ASEAN countries and Bangladesh will share their experiences and best practices and come up with sets of recommendations to forge new collaborations between Bangladesh and ASEAN in the aquaculture sector.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also arranged visits to historical places, Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) and fisheries projects in Mymensingh for the visiting Heads of Missions and diplomats from ASEAN countries.

The Government of Bangladesh has recently taken several initiatives to broaden its engagement with the ASEAN in its efforts to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN.

This workshop is a part of the ASEAN-Bangladesh Cooperation Project on Fisheries which is being funded by the Government of Bangladesh and will be rounded off on 05 March in Cox’s Bazar. The remaining part of the project, a training programme and seminar, will be organized in Jakarta this year.