Minister of Tourism Honorable Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Honorable Hassan Sobir, Ministers, Ladies and gentlemen
It is a privilege and a great joy for me to extend a vote of thanks to all those who have contributed in one way or the other to make this workshop a success.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Director General of Fisheries Research and Development, Mr. Maizan Hassan Maniku, has been the driving force behind this whole process. His vision, interest and hard work has once again culminated in another success story. I wish to thank him for the efforts he has put into developing this new research agenda for integrated reef resource management.
The staff of the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, especially those at Marine Research Section, have worked extremely hard, both in the foreground and background. Organizing a five day workshop with international experts, government organizations, NGOs, stakeholders and other professional bodies is not at all an easy task. You deserve congratulations for a job well done.
The Bay of Bengal Programme provided part of the financial resources for organizing this workshop which ensured smooth running of this workshop. I wish to thank them for their assistance and acknowledge the support rendered by their Programme Officer, Ms Donna Nickerson.
The international resource persons have brought here with them and shared with us their knowledge and experiences. You have guided us in the right direction and we appreciate that. We understand that you have taken time out of your very important schedules to contribute to this workshop, and some of you have even traveled at very short notice. Thank you for your invaluable contribution.
I also acknowledge the contributions of all those who have presented papers at this workshop.
The non-governmental organizations, professional bodies and representatives from the industries have participated actively throughout the workshop. It is what was expected and we would like to see this kind of close co-operation in the implementation of the strategies that have come out as well.
I also wish to thank the students who have attended this workshop and expressed your thoughts. What is decided here would have direct implications for your future and the interest and enthusiasm you have shown is indeed a good sign for the future.
Before concluding, let me express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Guest of Honor Honorable Ibrahim Hussain Zaki and the ministers who have raised this occasion with their presence here today.
Finally, let me put on record our tributes to the Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Honorable Hassan Sobir for his guidance and encouragement.
