RAJSHAHI, May 9, 2018 (BSS) – Fish farming made many people financially solvent here along with boosting their social dignity and contributing to meet the demand of animal protein across the country.
Akbar Hossain, a fish farmer of Bojorpur village in Mohanpur Upazila, alone produced 28.5 metric tons of fish worth around Taka 42.75 lakh making neat profit of Taka 12.75 lakh in 2017.
Through ensuring quality, he collects eggs from government hatchery and rivers and breeds fishes from the eggs by himself. In the initial stage, he got training from Upazila Fisheries Office on fish farming.
Dr Amimul Ehsan, Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer of Mohanpur, said there are more than 1,500 fish farmers in the upazila and most of them become succeeded in the fish farming. Investment has gradually been being increased in this sector.
District Fisheries Officer Subhash Chandra Shaha told BSS today that fish production has increased significantly here after taking multidimensional development and extension programmes.
Fish production was 52,171 metric tonnes in 2009 while it increases to over 80,870 metric tonnes in 2017. Highlighting various progarmmes taken by the Department of Fisheries, he said about 95,477 kilograms of fish fingerlings were released in internal water-bodies to increase fish production.
Noting that some 18,751 fishermen were given registration, the official said, of them, about 12,232 fishermen have already got identity cards so that they can get necessary supports and incentives from the government.
He said a total of 35 water bodies with area of 3,062.03 hectares were established in the district to boost the production of carp fishes while 15 fish sanctuaries were established with a view to preserving indigenous endangered fish species.
Around 50,176 people, who are involved in fish farming, were imparted training for enhancing fish production, he also said.
“We’ve established 312 projection hatcheries with the area of 76.60 hectares for wide-ranging dissemination of modern fish farming technology through projection,” he added.
Shubhash said about 100 derelict water-bodies and wetlands were excavated in the district during the last nine years and eco-friendly nets have been distributed among 5,880 fishermen.
Fish farmers in Rajshahi became successful in fish production in the last couple of years after the Department of Fisheries took diversified efforts to boost fish production there.
After meeting the growing local demand, the district is now supplying at least 100 trucks of fish to different districts, including Dhaka city, every day, officials said.
This year, fish production target for Rajshahi was set 83,084 tonnes and the target is expected to be achieved.
In Rajshahi district, there are 41,876 ponds, 6108 commercial farms, and 486 open water-bodies.