The Director General of the Department of Fisheries, Dr. Md. Abdur Rouf, has warned that the use of unnecessary antibiotics in Bangladesh’s fish farming sector is increasing at an alarming rate. Speaking on Thursday at a discussion meeting titled “Stopping Unnecessary Antibiotic Use in Fisheries,” held at the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute auditorium in Mymensingh, he said that using antibiotics without expert advice may bring short-term benefits but poses serious long-term risks to public health, food safety, and the environment.

The meeting, chaired by Mymensingh Divisional Director Nripendra Nath Biswas, was attended by senior officials, fish farmers, hatchery owners, feed producers, and other stakeholders. Speakers noted that many farmers use excessive antibiotics to prevent disease and boost growth, especially in closed water bodies, leaving harmful residues in fish that can increase antibiotic resistance in humans. Officials said inexperienced farmers often apply antibiotics without departmental guidance, sometimes encouraged by drug company representatives and local feed traders.

Participants emphasized the need to ban antibiotic sales and use without expert consultation and called for stricter monitoring and awareness campaigns to protect public health and the aquatic environment.