KHULNA, Nov 18, 2019 (BSS) – Shrimp and fish farmers suffered Taka 7.98 crore loss as at least 184 metric tonnes of fish including 133 metric tonnes shrimp worth from 2,772 shrimp ‘ghers'(enclosures) and 1375 ponds were washed away in nine upazila in the district due to cyclonic storm ‘Bulbul’ official sources said.
But according to some of the shrimp farmers their loss on November 10’s tropical storm would exceed far more than Tk 7.98 crore.
District Fishery Office source said about 1.50 lakh shrimp and fish farmers became penniless due to the cyclonic that hit nine upazilas of the district.
According to reliable sources there are 92,000 shrimp ghers in nine upazilas. Of which, 2,772 ghers were washed away by ‘Bulbul’.
The worst-affected upazila in the district is Koyra where around 1267-hectares shrimp ghers were damaged.
Khulna District Fisheries Officer Md Abu Sayeed told BSS, Bulbul washed away 30 percent shrimp ghers, ponds and fish farms in Khulna. Most of the fish farmers and shrimp ghers owners invested money after taking loan from bank.
Harun-ur-Rashid of Koyra upazila told BSS that his two ghers set up on 50 bighas were completely washed away in storm Bulbul.
“I have become penniless as my ghers were washed away in last Sunday’s cyclone,” he said adding that he spent about Taka 10 lakh for shrimp farming this year.