A bill titled ‘The Fisheries Quarantine Bill, 2018’ was passed in Parliament on Sunday, aiming to regulate the import of fish to prevent the intrusion of any harmful bacteria into the country.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister Narayan Chandra Chanda moved the Bill and it was passed by voice vote.Currently, there is no law to check the intrusion of any disease or harmful bacteria through fish import.
As per the proposed law, the Fisheries Department will act as the Fish Quarantine Authority to monitor the import of any fish or aquaculture species by water, road, air and other routes.If any individual or company imports fish or fish products without permission, they will face minimum one-year and maximum seven-year jail or fine of maximum Tk 5 lakh or both.
The offence under the law will be considered as non-cognisable and bail-able one. Metropolitan, judicial and executive magistrates will have the authority to deal with the offence.However, no court will accept any case without any written complaint of the quarantine officer.
Police, RAB, Coast Guard, BGB, port authority and civil aviation authority, Bangladesh Railway, shipping agencies and other organisations concerned will have the authority to prevent any activity detrimental to the law and help the fisheries officials to execute the law.
source: UNB
