Md. Sanaullah Riyad, Barguna :: In order to implement the “Adopting Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) technologies and practices for resilient green growth of dry fish processing microenterprises” sub-project under PKSF’s Sustainable Microenterprise and Resilient Transformation (SMART) Project, an information meeting was held to promote environmentally friendly production and marketing of dried fish by small entrepreneurs in the context of climate change, expansion of local, domestic and international markets for dried fish, packaging and marketing of marine fish by small entrepreneurs in the context of climate change, and expansion of local, domestic and international markets for marine fish.
Funded by the World Bank, in collaboration with PKSF and implemented by Sangram, the meeting was held at the Subarna Juyanti Conference Room of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office on Wednesday (April 23) at around 11 am.
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shafiul Alam spoke as the chief guest.
The welcome speech was delivered by Sangram’s Executive Director Chaudhuri Munir Hossain.
The founder of Sangram, Chaudhuri Mohammad Masum, presided over the meeting and the project manager Md. Abu Nayem moderated it. The special guests present were – Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Animesh Biswas, District Fisheries Officer Md. Mohsin, Deputy Manager of BSCIC District Office Kazi Tofazzel Haque, President of the Press Club Advocate Sohel Hafiz, President of Sangram Executive Council Md. Jahangir Hossain, etc.
Representatives of various NGOs in the district, representatives of the Trawler Owners’ Association, Matsya Arat Association, dried fish producers and sellers were present at the meeting.
A documentary about the project was presented by Md. Saif Hasan Mamun, MIS and Documentation Officer of the sub-project.
After the presentation of the documentary, the participants had an open discussion and question and answer session with the focal person of the sub-project, Md. Humayun Kabir, and the technical officer of the sub-project, Md. Nuruzzaman.
This project, named Sustainable Microenterprise and Resilient Transformation (SMART) Project, will work with 1,000 small entrepreneurs in 10 unions in Kalapara Upazila of Patuakhali district and 3 Upazilas of Barguna district (Barguna Sadar, Taltoli and Patharghata) through 11 branches of Sangram.
This sub-project will work with a total of 1,000 small entrepreneurs on the use of fish drying platforms and fish dryers, cessation of fish preservation with pesticides, use of mini cold storage, installation of poultry and fish feed making machines at the community level, installation of community toilets with potable water facilities at the fish drying site, installation of high platforms with drainage facilities for fish washing, installation of plastic hubs in marine tourism areas, installation of outlets for marketing dried and marine fish, installation of online platforms for marketing, installation of multifunctional fish finder and echo sound devices in fishing trawlers, use of energy-saving lights as needed, use of transparent sheets in fish storage, installation/renovation of windows as per engineering protocols.
Smart Project is working to reduce environmental pollution by making the best use of natural resources and generate more wealth.
The project started on February 20 of this year. It will continue until June 2028.
