FRESHWATER AQUACULTURE RESEARCH STATION, MYMENSINGH
A Integrated aquaculture/farming systems
This programme will deal with a new area of research in Bangladesh, aiming at development of farming systems that make optimum use of (scarce) physical facilities by combining culture of fish with that of other “crops” (animals and/or plants). Similar programmes in neighbouring countries (namely Thailand, Philippines, and China) lead to very profitable schemes, in which the various crops profit from each others' waste products. The research projects in Bangladesh will be based on the practical results achieved elsewhere. They will aim in the first year(s) at development of culture recipes, with emphasis on fish/duck and fish/chicken combinations and on the use of embankments for crop (pulses) production.
B Fish reproduction and hatchery production
The basis of all aquaculture is the reproduction of fish; this programme will comprise factors that can enhance both quality and quantity of stocking material. Improvement of quality will be achieved by development of new products (small species, catfish, carp hybrids), and increase of quantity by improvement of hatchery and fry transportation techniques and by manipulation of broodstock.
C Pond production systems development
The research will concentrate on production management of ponds and small water bodies in Bangladesh. Optimum management schemes will be developed in the stations' series of ponds and, thereafter, tested in existing tanks and other waterbodies in the neighbourhood. The selection of management elements to be developed first will be based on the primary needs of the farmers in existing nursing and foodfish production. They will include schemes and procedures for fertilization, stocking and predator and competitor control. Moreover, new production opportunities (e.g. pearls, small fishes, catfish) will be developed for mono- and/or polyculture, and made available to the farmers.
D Fish feed and nutrition
Feeding is one of the factors in culture management, that is extremely low developed in Bangladesh. The programme, therefore, will in the first place have to include such basic projects as ingredients surveys and analyses. Secondly, it will have to contain a feed technology project, including research in diet formulation, feed production and feed application. And, lastly, any fish feed programme has to focus on nutritional studies and diet testing, to develop optimum feeds from a biological and economic point of view. In Bangladesh, the feed programme has to be directed towards development of additional feeds in the first years; demands for full diet feeds will increase with the development of more intensive culture systems (e.g. pens, cages) in later years.
E Fish pathology
Large problems are caused by fish parasites and diseases in aquaculture, but good diagnostic services are not available and knowledge of drugs (activity and use) is practically missing. The health care project will build up and extent the knowledge needed, so that farmers can understand what problem they face. Furthermore, locally available drugs have to be tested for biological activity against pathogens and fish. As long as most aquaculture in Bangladesh is low-intensive, outbreaks of bacterial or viral diseases will not be common; for that reason the fish pathology programme can focus on parasites mainly during the first years.
F Socio-economic studies
The socio-economic programme will deal with social, financial, and legal aspects of freshwater, brackishwater and marine cultural and captural fisheries. The programme has been projected in Mymensingh, as (for the time being) most work is expected in the large areas of freshwater culture and stocking of public waters (the floodplains are close to Mymensingh), but in the future staff of this programme may be temporarily assigned to other stations to deal with particular problems. A major project will be the development and evaluation of extension programmes; this is especially needed as soon as research is going to produce results that have to be channeled efficiently to farmers or fishermen.
RIVERINE FISHERIES RESEARCH STATION, CHANDPUR
A Riverine production ecology
Riverine fish is the largest source of animal protein in Bangladesh, but this source is threatened by ignorant (or none) fisheries management and by physical and chemical changes in the environment. This research programme aims at producing basic data for development of rules, regulations and management schemes to prevent decrease of riverine yields. Basic data will not only be collected on population dynamics of the main riverine species (Hilsa, carps, Macrobrachium), but also on the impact of environmental disturbances.
B Reproduction and culture of riverine species
Artificial reproduction and pond culture of riverine species other than carps is not carried out in Bangladesh. Still there is a need to develop the techniques concerned, albeit with different objectives. For Macrobrachium the objective is the development of (small-scale) hatchery and farming systems for commercial culture of this cash crop by farmers. For riverine catfish (Pangasius) the objective is more or less the same. But for Hilsa the development of reproduction and nursing systems will mainly be directed towards production of stocking material for open waters; this development can not wait until surveys (programme A) reveal that natural reproduction becomes critical.
C Paddy-cum-fish culture
This programme is related to programme A of FARS (Integrated aquaculture) and aims also at optimum use of land. Production of a fish or shrimp crop in the paddy has proven to ask for low investment, whereas it strongly improves the farmers income and/or diet. The main management tools and procedures are known, but have to be tested under typical Bangladeshi situations of paddy farming and with local fish and shrimp species. Moreover, guidelines have to be developed for pest control in the paddy-cum-fish/shrimp culture, for which the use of pesticides in Bangladesh has to be surveyed and their toxicity determined.
D Production in large waterbodies
This programme will deal with Lake Kaptai and the Oxbow Lakes: research in these areas can only be done on location, for which reason staff will be assigned to the relevant sub-stations (Rangamati, and, in a later phase, Jessore). The Lake Kaptai research will aim at improvement of the fisheries output of the waterbody by reproduction enhancement, and by development of in-lake nursing systems. This practical, output-oriented research should be carried out in co-operation with the local DOF and BFDC staff.
E Pen and cage culture
Pen and cage culture is a new area of research in Bangladesh. As little is known about this subject in the country, much has to be studied, including availability and suitability of sites, materials to be used, species (combinations) to be stocked, and management, including feeding. Also socio-economic aspects will have to be dealt with, such as scale of operation and prevention of poaching. Pen and cage culture can in principle be developed for rivers and floodplains, as well as for more stagnant waterbodies.
F Hatchery production
This programme is included to make use of the existing facilities in the station. After further detailing of the research projects this programme will be more and more related with the research in programme B.
BRACKISHWATER FISHERIES RESEARCH STATION, KHULNA
(Provisional programme; not yet phased)
A Culture programme
Research towards optimum production systems of penaeid (and Macrobrachium, as far as not covered by the RFRS-projects) shrimp as cash crop, including mono- and polyculture and various levels of intensity. Determination of nutritional requirements of shrimp and analysis of growth limitations, translation of results into inputs and management schemes. Studies into improvement of farm technology and design. Identification and evaluation of new opportunities for brackishwater aquaculture, including fish, other shrimp species, crayfish, crabs, and Artemia.
B Resources programme
Surveys of natural recruitment of Penaeus species and analysis of factors that determine recruitment. Mapping of spawning and nursing sites and of gateways to sea and their relative importance. Studies of natural reproduction cycles (all comparabe with the Macrobrachium population dynamics research in RFRS, that could be transferred to BFRS later on). Analysis of availability and suitability of sites for brackishwater aquaculture, and establishment of relations between soil and water chemistry and production potential.
C Reproduction programme
This programme will deal with the (semi-) artificial reproduction of shrimp and brackishwater fish, including management of broodstock, handling of eggs and larvae, and nursing techniques. An important part of the programme will consist of development of efficient hatchery technologies and designs, including those for small-scale units.
D Health care programme
Objectives and research will be comparable to those in Programme E of FARS (Fish pathology); it might be expected that bacterial and viral diseases could play a somewhat larger role, especially in the (intensive) shrimp nursing.
E Processing-programme
Research related to aspects of quality control, including development of standardized sampling and analysis methodology. Research into processing technology in co-operation with BCSIR and processing industries. Upgrading of unused resources into commercial products.
MARINE FISHERIES AND MARICULTURE RESEARCH STATION, COX's BAZAR
(Provisional programme; not yet phased)
A Mariculture programme
Research with respect to marine pen and cage culture and culture of molluscs. Projects will deal with site selection procedures, spat collection methodologies (molluscs), and nutritional research (fish culture).
B Marine fisheries programme
This programme will deal with research and surveys with respect to the dynamics of marine (and brackishwater) fish distribution, species composition and abundance as a function of the total catch effort. Pelagic fishery resources in the EEZ will be studied in detail, and non-used marine resources (and their potential values) will be identified.
FISHERIES TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH STATION, CHITTAGONG
No detailed research programmes have been developed, since inclusion of this station in FRI is doubtful. The originally intended feed technology programme is housed in FARS (Programme D), and the processing programme in BFRS (Programme E).
