Underscoring the need for taking steps to produce and preserve different varieties of local fishes, President Abdul Hamid yesterday said people need to be encouraged to cultivate and preserve those varieties to protect the country's aquatic environment and biodiversity.

"Production of local fishes has been decreased to a large extent and some varieties of local fishes are facing extinction. So, we must take steps to encourage people to cultivate and preserve different varieties of local fishes for maintaining biodiversity," the president said at a function at Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban in Dhaka marking the National Fisheries Week-2016.

Mentioning the potential of the fisheries sector, the president suggested proper implementation of different laws related to fish production and preservation and asked authorities concerned to make the people, especially the fish producers and traders, aware about these laws.

He put emphasis on taking a programme comprising the government and all fisheries related stakeholders including non-government, voluntary and commercial organisations as well as research institutes to boost fish production.

"It is not the responsibility of the government alone to increase fish production and to maintain proper management of vast aquatic resources," he added.

He said the fisheries sector has been fulfilling 60 percent of demand for animal protein. Moreover, 11 percent of the total population of the country depends on this sector.

Later, the president released fish fries in Lion Pond of Bangabhaban.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister Muhammad Sayedul Hoque, State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Narayan Chandra Chanda, Secretary Maksudul Hasan Khan and DG of the Department of Fisheries Syed Arif Azad also spoke.