Our Correspondent

KHULNA, Oct 27: Over 0.16 million shrimp enclosures (Ghers) have been registered in Khulna division under European Union (EU) directive, sources at the Khulna Divisional Fisheries Office said.

Sources further said the EU team that visited Bangladesh in May 2007 had asked the government to bring the shrimp enclosures under the registration system.

The registration programme has started and the process will continue until November 1 this year.

The Fisheries and Livestock Department has made registration compulsory for the country's shrimp enclosures after the EU directive.

According to the sources, there are about 0.2 million shrimp enclosures in five districts of Khulna division.

Of them, the registration of 163,060 shrimp enclosures have already been completed and the rest of them are expected to be completed soon.

Of the registered shrimp firms, 44,828 enclosures are in Khulna district, 17,612 in Jessore district, 62, 546 in Bagerhat district, 32,866 in Satkhira district, and 5,158 firms in Narail district.

As shrimp export ban to the EU countries goes on November 15 this year, the government has decided to resume shrimp export to the same destinations from November, sources added.