Fish farming on dry riverbed in bangladesh

  • 4 years ago
Sagar, an educated young man of a remote village of Sailkupa in Jhenidah, is like a ray of hope for fish farmers with his new technology. The technology has been helping in carrying out fish farming in polythene on the dry bed of the Gorai river, in Sarutia union, for past few years. It might help fulfill the demand for fish protein for people in the locality, said the entrepreneur.

Raqibul Islam Sagar of Krishnanagar said he was passing his days looking for a job. Witnessing fish in croplands, he planned to cultivate the same on river banks with minimum water. He placed polythene measuring 100 to 105 feet in length and 17 to 18 feet in width with two to three feet high.

In 2017, Sagar cultivated fish at a few spots investing Tk. 5.000. He invested another Tk. 1,500 received from a money lending organisation the next year. The farming brought success and he made Tk. 22,000 within three to four months.

The entrepreneur said he has been nursing telapia, nilotica, pabda, shrimp and some other fast growing varieties on the sand of the Gorai river bank at 12 spots this season. About one kilogram each in weight, the fish will ensure at least Tk. 2 lakh within 100 to 120 days.

Sagar said the process could play a role in increasing fish farming on dried up river beds, ponds and fallow lands in the dry season, when fish crisis is acute. Beside ensuring fish protein, it will generate part-time jobs for youths, that might help strengthen the socio-economic base of society.

Talking to journalists at the fish project on the Gorai river bank, the entrepreneur said he did not receive any cooperation or support from the Department of Fisheries (DoF) in the past three years. Even they did not visit his project area any time. Their support might help him bring more positive success and encourage the people in fish farming. The method does not carry any risk and major investment, he said.

A number of locals of Bhulundia, Krishnanagar, Sarutia, Baruria, Kirtinagar and some other villages said they could not believe that Sagar could show any fruitful results in fish nursing in the initial stage. But they witnessed how the educated young man proved his success by working on the sand of the banks of the Gorai river.

District fisheries officer in Jhenidah Alfaz Uddin Sheikh said he could not see the activities of Sagar in Sailkupa of Jhenidah in the past two years.

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