Kaptai Lake — file photo Production of big fishes like 'rui' and 'katal' in Kaptai Lake fell substantially over the years for not using modern technologies of fish farming, officials said.
The total area (including embankments) of the artificial lake is 68,800 hectares. Only 139 kilograms of fishes are now being produced per hectare annually in the lake as compared to an average production of 4,600 kgs per hectare in the ponds, they said.
The lake has the quality to produce sweet water fishes (carp fish) and it will be possible to increase the production to 1,000 kgs if modern culture and management technologies are adopted, said the officials.
The lake generates a large quantity of fish fries (carp) every year. But the production of carp fishes does not increase significantly compared with the production of small indigenous fishes such as chapila and keski.
Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) has prepared some recommendations for increasing fish production in the lake and is expected to submit the recommendations to the government today (Sunday), a high official at the BFRI told the FE.
The recommendations include production of fish through cash culture, creek culture and conservation of newly-discovered breeding ground adjacent to the lake.
Kaptai Lake produced around 9,500 tonnes of fishes during the fiscal year 2016-17 (FY 17), which was around 9,000 tonnes in the 2015-2016 financial year. The lake earned Tk 120 million during the FY 17.
During the early 1960s, the big carp fishes such as rui and katal were 60-65 per cent of the total fish population, but now it reduced to only 4-5 per cent, said Kazi Belaluddin, scientific officer and riverine sub-station chief of BFRI in Rangamati.
He said that they set a target to produce over 10,000 tonnes of fishes during the current fiscal year (FY 18).
The fish production in the lake started increasing gradually following the adoption of effective management that has significantly stopped catching 'brood fishes' that help increase fish production.
Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) would implement the BFRI suggestions for increasing carp fish production in the lake.
"We want to increase fish production in the lake," chairman of BFDC Dildar Ahmed told the FE.
He said that if the recommendations are implemented, the production will increase significantly within the next three years.
The country produced 4.13 million tonnes of different varieties of fishes against the target of 4.05 million tonnes during the FY 17, according to the ministry of fisheries and livestock.
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