Bangladesh is set to increase knowledge on marine life and biodiversity in the Bay of Bengal with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina commissioning a specialised research vessel at Chittagong Boat Club yesterday through videoconferencing. Equipped with a modern laboratory and a sonar system capable of detecting objects up to a depth of 1,600 metres, RV Meen Shandhani will start conducting surveys from December. A complete survey will take three years, said a fisheries department official. Bangladesh Navy will run the mechanical and navigational operations of the 37.8-metre-by-9.2-metre ship having a draft of 4.6 metres and a 1,400 hp engine allowing speeds of up to 12 knots. The fisheries department will gather the information with technical assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization, informed the ship’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Mohammad Rashed-ul Karim. The findings will help formulate a plan for sustainable marine resources and improve understanding of the species and habitats by giving the whole scenario regarding fish stocks and their distribution, new fishing and breeding zones and the limit to catches. The first fish survey was done in 1972 through a research ship of the Soviet Union and further advancements were made by RV Onushandani and RV Machranga, which broke down in 2000. Fisheries and Livestock Minister Muhammed Sayedul Hoque went round the ship yesterday.
2016 / thedailystar.net