Bangladesh seeks higher fish production without compromising food safety

Bangladesh must increase fish production to meet growing demand without compromising food safety or quality, fisheries and livestock minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid said Sunday.

Speaking at Aquaculture Knowledge Day 2026 in Dhaka, Aminur urged researchers, scientists, and entrepreneurs to develop safer production methods, reduce reliance on antibiotics and vaccines, and pursue natural alternatives.

“People now demand safe, healthy and quality food. No production method should be adopted that poses long-term health risks to consumers,” he said.

Bangladesh produced 5.018 million metric tons of fish in fiscal 2023-24, according to the Department of Fisheries, up from 4.914 million metric tons a year earlier. Aquaculture accounted for 59.34% of production, inland capture fisheries 28.13%, and marine fisheries 12.53%.

Aminur said stronger quality standards could help Bangladesh meet domestic demand while improving global competitiveness of its agricultural exports.