Fish production fails to meet demand in Kushtia, over 5,000 tons yearly deficit

Annual demand of fish in Kushtia is around 18,242 tons where the annual production of that is about 12,724 tons only, which shows clearly a deficit of around 5,516 tons.

About 2 thousand canals, beels, haors, baors, ponds and other water bodies including some rivers are scattered across the district. There are about 14,831 ponds of around 2116.58 hectares of area in Kushtia that spars luminous future of fishing in the district. Still fishermen peruse backdated way of fishing into the ponds.

Adha nibir (partially compact) way of fishing takes place in some of the ponds. There are about 39 beels that are stretched on around 1437.31 hectares of lands. Three baors stretch around 96.37 hectares of lands and eight rivers flow across the district. The number of 'Khas' ponds in Kushtia is about eight that stretch on 12.31 hectares of lands. Despite not only presence of such reputable water bodies in Kushtia but also favourable wind of fishing, fish production here is not satisfactory only due to the absence of proper plans.

The fish farmers in Kushtia suffer losses. The fish production in Kushtia is not increasing though its demand is going up day-by-day following increase of population and rise of the per capita income of the locals. Nearly all of the markets in the district now suffer from fish crisis.

An instant study conducted on the district's fish farmers revealed that most of the cultivators are ignorant about modern and scientific way of fishing. They do not know the scientific way of production, care and treatment of fishes. Even they lack proper knowledge on ponds, soil of the ponds, and quality of water. Some 15 thousand farmers fall in this type.

About 5 thousand 84 fish cultivators of the district were trained during 2001-05 at different ponds in Kushtia. Fish cultivation in paddy fields took places in around 98.47 hectares of lands while 176 farmers were trained on the purpose.

The number of farmers trained by the Rural Fisheries Extension Department is 12 and also about 300 cultivators have taken advices from the office, which is too poor a number to escalate the fish production in the district.

Fish production in the district might go up to fulfill the demand if the cultivators are well trained, provided financial assistance, and if the flood management is developed in the district along with irrigation and draining out of water system is changed. Further, the additional or surplus production might be exported after fulfilling the local demand.

District Fisheries office and private sector fish cultivators source say there is no remarkable government strive to rise the breeding of fish during 2001-05 in the district. The 'Pona' (fishlings) produced by the private sector cultivators are exported to other districts, said the sources.

District Fisheries official Hasanuzzaman told BDNEWS the cultivators are being prepared and trained throughout different field level training initiatives for better skill in modern fishing. He added that about 25 thousand fish cultivators might have been employed if the scheme is implemented.

Besides, the surplus fish could be exported to earn some foreign currencies as well. Fish trader and cultivators say about 18 lakh of fish are caught during Falgun-Chaitra (Bengali months) season. But a huge amount of these fishes rot for absence of a cold storage. A modern cold storage is also needed for the better production of fish in the district, say the cultivators and the fish traders.