Mixed fish farming goes on in full swing in Cox's Bazar

COX'S BAZAR, July 22: At the end of the salt season, cultivation of black tiger shrimp (bagda) and other fishes is going on in full swing on the same land in the coastal areas of Cox's Bazar district.
Farmers have started cultivating various species of fishes, including black tiger shrimp, in most of their projects since May.
In Cox's Bazar this year, the production target of bagda shrimp has been set at 890 million kilograms. The current market price of shrimp is Tk 1,200 per kg.

However, the value of various species of saltwater fish, including harul, harina, chaka, chali, bata, coral, thailya, dathina, tengra, white prawn, leyllya prawn, tilapia and shrimp, has not been calculated in this case.
According to sources at Department of Fisheries here, at least 445,092 hectares of land have been brought under cultivation of mixed fishes, including bagda shrimp, in the district during the current season.
Even though all the projects are not supervised by the Department of Fisheries, the department concerned provides regular training to fish farmers.
Zafar Alam, a shrimp fry supplier who lives in Mohammad Shah Ghona village under Kalamarchhara union of Maheshkhali upazila, said farmers had benefited greatly from fish cultivation during the last season.
"District Fisheries Department provides assistance. Besides, the price for fishes, including shrimp, is very high. So, the farmers are more enthusiastic about mixed fish farming during monsoon," he added.
Abu Taleb, director of a fisheries project at Hwanak Union of Maheshkhali upazila, said the demand for fry produced in hatcheries is higher than that of local fry during the current season.
Mixed fish farming in such method is not possible without government help. About 10 million shrimps have been released in 4/5 of his projects, he added.
According to the Department of Fisheries, 770 million bagda fry have been released in more than 4,600 shrimp enclosures in the coastal areas of the district.
Mezba Uddin, a shrimp farmer at Kutubdia, said after salt cultivation, fish farming is now going on in full swing.
Abbas Uddin, a shrimp trader in Badarkhali, said everybody is showing interest to cultivate black tiger shrimp as its price is high on the local market.
It is learnt that due to expected production of shrimps in the last monsoon, shrimp farmers have come to work with enthusiasm during the current season. Cultivation has started in vast coastal areas of Maheshkhali, Pekua, Chakoria, Teknaf and Sadar upazilas of the district.
Shaukat Ali, a resident of Dhalghata in Maheshkhali upazila, said the only source of income for the people of Dhalghata during monsoon is the cultivation of mixed fish besides shrimp. Farmers have already invested a huge mount of money in fish projects, he added.
Cox's Bazar District Fisheries Officer Mohammad Bazlur Rahman said they are always ready to give advice and provide assistance if anyone seeks.
Nearly 0.2 million people in the coastal region of the district are involved in fish cultivation.
Not only shrimp, but other types of fishes are also exported abroad now. There are 28 species of shrimp, including deer, chaka and chali and 187 species of fishes. All these shrimps are farmed in enclosures but only bagda shrimp is harvested.
Mr Bazlur also said shrimp and other fishes are cultivated in Cox's Bazar in a traditional way. Some 1,800-2,000 kg of bagda prawns are produced per hectare.
Salahuddin Ahmad, senior vice-president at Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association, said Bangladeshi shrimps are exported to 60 countries in the world including Taiwan, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.