(05) The present harvest of fish, including fin-fish, crustaceans, and frogs' legs is estimated to be in the range of 657 000 to 725 000 t per year. Fish production may be specified, with respect to origin, in riverine fisheries, marine fisheries, fisheries in ponds and other small water bodies, fisheries in large freshwater bodies, and extensive brackishwater culture/capture. The relative production from the various sources is roughly as follows:
| riverine fisheries | 64 % |
| marine fisheries | 19 % |
| small freshwater bodies | 15 % |
| large freshwater bodies | 1 % |
| brackishwater culture/capture | 1 % |
(06) Fisheries and aquaculture are an important economic activity in Bangladesh, both from a monetary and a nutritional point of view. More than five million people live from fisheries and directly related activities and an even larger number of people are engaged in subsistence fisheries. In inland fisheries more than half of the fishermen exclusively fish for their own household; very few fishermen deliver more than half of their catch to the market.
Brackishwater culture/capture mainly consists of extensive culture/capture of shrimp. Also marine fisheries yield an important harvest of shrimp. The export of shrimp constitutes 90 % of the export earnings in the fishery sector and 97 % of the total export earnings (1983/84) in that sector, ranking nationally second after jute products. Shrimp and frogs' legs support a growing processing industry.
(07) In the order of 60 % of the total inland and marine fisheries harvest is consumed in the households of the fishermen, a very important nutritional factor in rural areas.
National nutrition surveys disclose that the present average caloric intake of the populace amounts to some 2000 K Cal/person/day, with an intake of 45 g crude protein per day. The biological value of this protein, primarily from cereal grains with limited essential amino acids lysine and methionine, is estimated at 60 (69 % of whole egg protein). Since the energy intake is limited, some of this protein is metabolized for life energy demands and consequently the protein available for growth, tissue repair and resistance to disease is reduced below the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for normal health and productivity. Fish constitutes about 10 % of the total protein intake and because of its high lysine and sulfur-containing amino acid content, tends to complement the amino acid crude protein profile until the balanced protein utilized approaches the RDA. A daily average intake of 23 g fish (4.8 g protein), close to the estimated actual average intake of 20 g, would improve the biological value of the total protein ingested to approach the RDS for protein and indispensable amino acid intake of the Bangladeshi person with average height and weight.
The nutritional surveys also indicated marginal intake of vitamin A, D and C. Low fat intake minimizes the fat soluble vitamines A and D, and Vitamine C decreased as a result of food preparation and cooking techniques applied. Fish is a rich source of vitamins A and D and fish skin is a rich source of vitamine C, so that the fish intake will prevent shortage of these essential vitamins.
(08) On the basis of various data and estimates a rough estimate has been compiled of the fishery resources and the production value of fisheries and aquaculture in Bangladesh, see Table 1.
(09) Riverine fisheries include fishery in rivers, creeks and canals, which contain water throughout the year and fishery in the flood plains: areas flooded during the monsoon season over a period of 4–6 months/year. The main group is hilsa (Hilsa ilisha), which is estimated to represent 40 % of the total freshwater catch. The second important group consists of the major Indian carps (Catla catla, Cirrhirus mrigala, Labeo calbasu and Labeo rohita). The rest consists of minor carps, predatory species (catfish, snakehead) and shrimp (Macrobrachium spp). Here also fish seed is harvested to stock ponds.
(10) Small water bodies include natural depressions, ponds and paddy fields. Depressions are located in the flood plains and become separate bodies of water when the flood plains are drained in the dry season. Larger areas are known as “haors” and smaller ones are called “beels”. There are some 1.4 million ponds, excavated for building purposes or as water reservoirs, ranging in size from 0.02 to 20 ha, of which only about 600 000 are used for fish production. Ponds generally have multiple ownership, which stands in the way of modern pond management. Fishery also takes place in rice fields, but no realistic estimates about yields are available.
During the monsoon, depressions and 85 % of the ponds are connected with open water from where recruitment takes place. In addition, part of the ponds (40 %) are stocked yearly, or once every two years (11 %) with seed purchased from fry catchers or from seed production farms. The composition of the species varies according to the source of the seed. Major (60 %) and minor carp (20 %) represent the bulk of the harvest.
(11) Large freshwater bodies comprise Oxbow lakes and Lake Kaptai. Oxbow lakes (“baors”) are mainly found in the south-west part of the country. They are old river cut-offs, most of them owned by the Government. Recruitment takes place during monsoon flooding. The unmanaged natural stock contains a high percentage of predator fishes, lowering the annual yield. Most of the Oxbow lakes are heavily vegetated. Some are used for jute retting, which pollutes the water. A start has been made with fisheries management in a number of these lakes, including stocking with hatchery produced fry.
Lake Kaptai in the Chittagong hill area is the only hydro-power reservoir of the country. The reservoir is located in sandy soils, low in nutrients. The productivity of the lake is reasonable: around 50 kg/ha. The catch consists for 60 % of small fish species, for 15% of predators and the rest is mainly major carps.
Table 1 - Fishery resources and production
| Resource | Area (ha) | Yield (kg/ha) | Harvest (t/year) | Production value' (million Taka) |
| Riverine fisheries | ||||
| Rivers, creeks canals | 1 000 000 | 60 | 60 000 | 1 920 |
| Flood plains | 2 800 000 | 100 | 280 000 | 9 200 |
| Total | 3 800 000 | 340 000 | 11 120 | |
| Small freshwater bodies | ||||
| Depressions | 270 000'' | 240 | 64 800 | 2 110 |
| Ponds | 158 000''' | 200 | 31 600 | 1 215 |
| Paddy fields | 2 880 000 | 10 | 28 800 | 1 055 |
| Total | 3 308 000 | 125 200 | 4 380 | |
| Large freshwater bodies | ||||
| Oxbow lakes | 21 000 | 100 | 2 100 | 95 |
| Lake Kaptai | 90 000 | 50 | 4 500 | 135 |
| Total | 111 000 | 6 600 | 230 | |
| Brackishwater Culture/capture | 42 000 | 160 | 6 720 | 570 |
| Marine fisheries | ||||
| Estuaries + deep sea | 134 650 | 4 680 | ||
| Total harvest and production value | 613 170 | 20 980 | ||
' Ex-farm (price-level '83–'84)
'' At the moment of separation from other waters
''' Of which about 70 000 ha are used for fish culture
(12) Brackishwater culture/capture takes place in salt pans and tidal ponds in the Chittagong and Cox's Bazar Districts and in rice fields in polders located in tidal areas in the Khulna, Patuakhali and Noakhali Districts. The main product here is shrimp. Ponds and rice fields are stocked with natural stock by means of the incoming tide, carrying with it fingerlings of predators which feed on the shrimp larvae. Generally no cultural measures are taken, giving shrimp culture the character of a mainly captural activity resulting in low yields. The main species are Penaeus monodon, P. semisulcatus, P. indicus, Metapenaeus monoceros and Macrobrachium spp.
The increased international demand for shrimp has resulted in a strong increase in shrimp culture/capture. In the polders in the brackishwater tidal area this has resulted in a rotation of rice and shrimp. After harvest of the Aman rice crop, brackish tidal water is allowed to enter the polder and flood the fields to produce a shrimp crop. Although it leads to certain conflicts of interest (dikes have not been equiped with gates to allow brackish water in, so dikes are cut; the fresh water-supply for domestic purposes is interrupted; stubble grazing by draught animals is eliminated; shrimp culture by large operators tends to increase income differences), this form of shrimp production is strongly increasing.
(13) Marine fisheries is the second largest source of fish after riverine fisheries. In the coastal belt and marine shelf, shrimp are considered to be the money-making component of the catch, although they only represent 2.5 % of that catch. The main species are Penaeus monodon, P. semisulcatus, P. indicus, and Metapenaeus monoceros. Shrimp fisheries is mainly done by trawlers. Total landings of 3000 t per year are recorded, but the total harvest may be in excess of 5000 t, the difference being landed in other countries. The by-catch of shrimp fisheries, estimated at 8000 to 30 000 t, is dumped into the sea.
The most important pelagic species are hilsa (60 %) (Clupeidae), jack (Carangidae) and anchovy (Engraulidae). The most important demersal species are catfish (Ariidae) and drums (Sciaenidee). Lates calcarifer is found, which may be an important species for mariculture. The potentially important species for brackishwater pond polyculture, Mugil spp. and Chanos chanos, also occur.
(14) In discussing cultural and captural fisheries in this report two new categories will be introduced, viz. mariculture and freshwater pen and cage culture. For systematic reasons the following order will be observed:
Culture
freshwater pond culture, including the culture of fish and Macrobrachium in small water bodies such as ponds, beels and paddy fields.
Capture
Processing marketing and quality control are important aspects in both culture and capture fisheries. They include the development of fish products, such as dry, salted, smoked and frozen fish, as well as by-products (fish meal, fish oil, FPC's etc.).
(15) Mariculture. With the exception of preliminary experiments on mollusc culture in the brackishwater zone started in 1983 by the Marine Biological Laboratory in Cox's Bazar, no work has been done on mariculture in Bangladesh. No systematic survey has been conducted on the availability of sites and nor feasibility studies carried out. There seems to be but a small internal market for cultured marine fin-fish species, while it is doubtful whether the culture of these species for export will be economically feasible. There is also some doubt whether the culture of molluscs for the export market will be an economical proposition, in view of the extensive sanitary and processing infrastructure required. These matters have to be studied in detail before any definitive statements can be made, but on first sight it seems that mariculture should not be given a high priority. The feasibility of coastal pen and cage culture will also have to be checked.
(16) Brackishwater pond culture. There has not been a detailed survey with respect to the potential shrimp cultivation area. As the culture of shrimps in the Khulna District will partly compete with the cultivation of rice it is even difficult to make a rough estimate, but a figure of 45 % of the area is mentioned by the Delta Development Project. The total potential shrimp production area, including the area for year-round Penaeid shrimp culture and the area where Penaeid and Macrobrachium shrimp may be cultured in rotation with rice, may be several 100 000 ha, of which at present 42 000 ha (105 000 acres) are under extensive shrimp culture/capture. A survey is, however, required to determine the potential shrimp production area. Present yields are low: 75–100 kg/ha shrimp and 75 kg fin-fish. With intensification of the production and extension of the area the total production and export earnings can be increased manifold. At some future date, say after 10–20 years, a production area of 100 000 ha with an (optimistic but possible) average shrimp/fish yield of 1500 kg/ha and an average ex-farm price of shrimp and fish of Tk 100/kg would result in a production value of 15 000 million Taka as against the present production value of 570 million Taka.
As a result of the massive increase in shrimp culture in South-East Asia and Latin America, the time may not be far off when the markets in Japan, North America and Europe will be saturated, resulting in a sharp drop in prices and profitability of shrimp culture and processing. If Bangladesh is to cash in on the international demand for shrimp, it should move fast. In this respect research and development aiming at short-term introduction and expansion of semi-intensive shrimp culture, including such related fields as hatchery technology, nutrition, and disease control, should receive priority.
At present ample larvae are found in the Sunderbans, providing work for larvae collectors. Uncontrolled fisheries of gravid females in the river mouths may endanger recruitment.
Little is known about the distribution of Macrobrachium spp. and the continued availability of juveniles for stocking purposes. Also this matter deserves attention.
(17) Freshwater cage and pen culture. In Bangladesh freshwater fish is preferred over marine species. The yield from riverine fisheries is decreasing (20) while the demand is increasing. In trying to meet the increased demand all methods of fish production should be considered, including freshwater cage and pen culture. There is general agreement that the physical potential of pen culture in Bangladesh is considerable. There are, however a number of factors which may prevent an initial rapid growth. The production method is new to the country and will have to surmount considerable problems with respect to site selection, development of equipment, availability and development of additional and full diet feeds, control of poaching, etc. There is another point to be considered; inland fishery is to a large extent a subsistence activity and the rural market for cultured fish will be relatively small. Therefore, and for reasons of income distribution, cage and pen culture should be small-scale activities producing fish at competitive prices. These would seem important subjects for adaptive research.
(18) Freshwater pond culture. The productivity in ponds, other small water bodies, and rice fields is very low, so that it seems natural to concentrate efforts on increasing the production in these areas first. This can be achieved by improvement of stocking material, by adding new elements to culture systems, and by introduction of modern pond management techniques.
Research should aim at all these elements and fields related to them, such as (small-scale) hatchery development, hybridization, nutrition, and disease control. Adding new elements to the farming systems (in and on the water) does not only enhance production as such, but it also helps to give income certainty to the farmers.
With respect to modern pond management it has to be kept in mind that further development of pond culture in Bangladesh will have to take place in the existing, non-drainable tanks. The sophisticated ponds in the research stations are ideal for analysis of effects of management measures, but the measures itself should be applicable under more adverse circumstances. The same holds for other small water bodies. Productivity in ponds, depressions, and roadside ditches can certainly be increased a great deal, but this will probably be a relatively slow process, requiring a long-term effort in research as well as in demonstration and extension. But this effort should be encouraged and given high priority, to ensure the potentially high revenue return.
About half of the existing ponds are presently not used for fish production. Many of them are derelict. The most effective way to raise pond production in Bangladesh as a whole would be to bring these ponds into culture: this would result in more additional kg of fish than through ameliorative measures in the other half of the ponds. The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock is enforcing the 1939 Tanks Improvement Act, that allows for Government interference when tanks are not under production. Multi-ownership (often the background for non-use of tanks) can be turned into mono-ownership through enforcement of the Act. Socio-economic analysis of the results of enforcement as well as of other management tools should receive research priority.
The potential of fish and shrimp culture in rice fields (apart from shrimp culture in the tidal zone) has so far not been established, but is expected to be high in Bangladesh, as long as pollution of surface waters with agricultural chemicals can be kept under control. Development of farming technology and management, based on achievements in neighbouring countries is needed; research should pay special attention to the introduction of safe pesticides.
(19) Fisheries in large water bodies. The production of the Oxbow lakes can be increased substantially by means of a stocking programme and lake management. In the Oxbow Lakes Fishery Project the yield in one 300 ha lake was raised from 118 kg/ha in 1981/82 to over 900 kg/ha in 1985/85. Under proper management an enduring average yield in the range of 600–800 kg/ha should be obtainable. Also the productivity of Lake Kaptai may be improved. Management of these water bodies will require a large input of scarce staff. Therefore, it is expected that overall development will be slow and that the contribution from large freshwater bodies to the total harvest of freshwater fish will remain small. Research should be directed towards limnological research and stock assessment to enable proper stocking and fisheries management of the lakes. In view of the relatively limited importance of these lakes, research here should not receive first priority.
(20) Riverine fisheries, contributing 64 % of the total capture and culture in Bangladesh, is decreasing as a result of flood control and irrigation measures, which decrease the total available fishing area and seriously limit natural breeding, spawning and nursing of the endemic aquatic fauna in the flood plains and rivers. According to recent reports an area of 390 000 ha is lost already for fish production and by the year 2005 the flood plain area will be reduced by some 1 700 000 ha, when all projected and ongoing projects have been completed. So far little is known about the effects of the water development projects on the recruitment of fish. There is especially uncertainty about the effects on the distribution and recruitment of hilsa, the main species of riverine fisheries. Research should be aimed at management and maintenance of the remaining inland fisheries resources. This research should be given high priority and should include (artificial) reproduction and nursing of riverine fish for restocking purposes.
Yearly river floodings after the main fish reproduction season lead to huge floodplains with low stocks. Plans are underway to improve the fish production capability of the floodplains through stocking of fingerlings and fishing management. Accompanying research is needed to identify the best species (-combination) for this purpose, to optimize stocking techniques, and to evaluate and analyze effects of measures taken.
(21) Marine fisheries. With respect to marine fisheries much information is lacking. Stock assessment has been conducted for a number of years, but so far there are not sufficient data about the dynamics of the resource base. Landing statistics seem to be incomplete and part of the catch may be landed in other countries than Bangladesh. The following estimates have, therefore, to be considered with a certain degree of reservation.
The potential yield of demersal fish has been estimated to be in the order of 100 000 t per year, which seems close to the actual catch. The potential yield of pelagic fish has also been estimated to be some 100 000 t per year. However, extension of pelagic fishing does not seem to be a profitable proposition, so that the actual catch probably is close to the economically feasible limit. On the basis of these estimates there does not seem to be much scope for further development of marine fisheries. However, further surveys are required, including detailed investigations with respect to the pelagic and demersal fishery resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone, i.e. 200 miles from the shore of the Bay of Bengal.
Major problems confronting the sector are:
Research should be directed at solving these problems.
(22) With a view to determining research priorities, economic, social, cultural and ecological factors have to be considered. In discussions between all parties involved in fisheries development in Bangladesh, it revealed that maximum emphasis should be placed on research into increase of output from fish culture, at the same time maintaining the present output level from captural fisheries. In Table 2 a global rating of research priorities is presented, in which “culture” is followed by “resource development and management”, whereas “harvesting and post-harvest technology” are rated somewhat lower.
Table 2 - Priority rating of development categories of aquaculture and fisheries in Bangladesh
| Category | Area of development | Priority |
| Culture | a) pond culture | 1 |
* freshwater | ||
* brackishwater | ||
* mariculture | ||
| b) pen and cage culture | ||
* riverine | ||
* brackishwater | ||
* large waterbodies | ||
* marine sites | ||
| Resource development and management | a) riverine | 2 |
| b) marine | ||
| c) large waterbodies | ||
| d) flood plains | ||
| Harvesting and post-harvest technology | a) gear development | 3 |
| b) product and by-product | ||
| c) quality control |
(23) There is a considerable institutional infrastructure for the development of fisheries and aquaculture in Bangladesh, dealing with research, training, extension, demonstration and the production of fry and fingerlings for stocking purposes.
Field staff of Directorate of Fisheries (DOF):
The field staff is charged among others with extension and demonstration. Organically the staff comprises approximately 64 district fishery officers and 400 fishery officers assigned to Upazilla's. Extension is furthermore provided in the framework of a number of development projects.
Research Institutes:
Institute of Food Science and Technology of the BCSIR, Dhaka.
Education and training:
Marine Fisheries Academy, Chittagong, providing training for seafaring fishermen.
Additional training facilities have been projected at the Shrimp Culture Demonstration Farm near Satkhira and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Cox's Bazar.
Seed production:
A number of private freshwater fish hatcheries and one private shrimp seed hatchery.
Other organizations and projects:
A number of research, training, extension, demonstration and development projects
(24) With respect to the fisheries infrastructure the following generalized observations are made:
(25) Freshwater Aquaculture Research Station, Mymensingh. This station in the vicinity of the Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) is in the development stage. Funds are provided by DANIDA. In 1985 it was handed over from DOF to FRI. The station will comprise a pond area of 6.75 ha (already constructed) and two large buildings, housing laboratories, library and offices. Apart from a research programme with respect to pearl culture little research was conducted before 1986. Available budgets do not seem to be sufficient to start an effective research programme.
(26) Fisheries Technological Laboratory, Chandpur. The laboratory lies on the premises of the Riverine Fisheries Research Station, with a total laboratory and office space of 130 m2. There is some useable equipment, but most of it is old and in need of repair. The laboratory is understaffed (two of five technologists and none of the seven technicians are on location) and under-budgeted. At present no effective research is going on.
(27) Riverine Fisheries Research Station, Chandpur. The station was transferred from DOF to FRI in 1985. It comprises a pond area of 6.8 ha which cannot be drained by gravity, a hatchery and a building with unequiped laboratories, a library and office space (160 m2). The station also houses the Fisheries Technological Laboratory (see (26)) and the Fisheries Training Institute. Most of the research staff is junior and the research budget is limited. Before 1986, research was mainly concentrated on hilsa fisheries: stock assessment, ecology of spawning grounds etc. Advice on freshwater hilsa fisheries has been provided by short-term one-man FAO/UNDP missions since 1981. Also some work was done on taxonomy of fish parasites.
The station has a substation in Rangamati for studies in Lake Kaptai. Due to understaffing of this substation no actual research was carried out.
(28) Marine Biological Laboratory. The laboratory consists of a building with office rooms and laboratories and a space reserved for the establishment of an aquarium. Part of the equipment for the aquarium has been provided by Japanese technical assistance, but funds and know-how needed for installation of the equipment are lacking. No research is conducted by the laboratory proper.
In 1984 nine young officers and 19 supporting staff were assigned to the laboratory to serve the Marine Fisheries Research, Management and Development Project, (UNDP). Their task was to collect data on marine ecology and to develop mariculture (oysters, Anadara clams). It is the intention that this work will taken over by FRI in due time.
