Shrimp used to hold the position of being the second-largest export product contributing to foreign exchange earnings in Bangladesh. Spread across 1,52,496 hectares of land, shrimp cultivation heavily relies on fry supplied by hatcheries, particularly those in Cox’s Bazar, catering to regions such as Satkhira, Khulna, and Bagerhat.

Broodstock, sourced from the deep sea by ships, serve as the foundation for fry production. However, in March, the harvest yielded fewer than 5,000 broodstock. It was about 20-34 thousand by 40 ships during this time earlier. Each mother shrimp has the potential to yield up to 60,000 fry.

The Shrimp Hatchery Association of Bangladesh (SHAB) Secretary General, Mohammad Najibul Islam, reported that despite setting a target of 500 million fry, only 250 million were produced by Cox’s Bazar’s 30 hatcheries. This shortfall has led to market crises, with many resorting to the illegal sale of low-quality fry.

Recent observations at Balaka Hatchery in Sonarpara revealed a specialized production process for fry from mother shrimp. Despite efforts, the hatchery fell short of its target of producing 110 million fry, managing only 52 million due to the broodstock shortage.

The production cost per hatchery has surged, now standing at $0.005. Transporting each “fry” to Satkhira via cargo plane costs $0.0012 totaling $0.0057 per fry. However, the market is flooded with low-quality disease prone fry priced at $0.0027 to $0.0032, resulting in losses for hatcheries.

Mother shrimp take 30 days to hatch from eggs, and within 25 days, the fry must be released into the enclosure. Hatchery managers, like Md. Alamgir of Kalatali Beach Quality Shrimp Hatchery, have been purchasing mother shrimp at additional costs to sustain fry production despite rising expenses.

Concerns over the hatchery’s vulnerability to high temperatures have prompted the use of cargo aircraft for swift fry delivery from Cox’s Bazar to Khulna-Satkhira. However, the reduction in available cargo planes from four to two has disrupted transportation, resulting in increased shrimp-fry mortality during lengthy road journeys.

SHAB President Ashek Ullah stressed the importance of timely supply of quality fry to sustain Bangladesh’s shrimp industry, which annually contributes over 3000 crores to foreign exchange earnings. Efforts are underway to address the shortage of mother shrimp and control shrimp diseases, ensuring the industry’s stability and growth. District Fisheries Officer, Badruzzaman, highlighted ongoing initiatives in this regard.

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In the region, fishers have been using highly detrimental methods to catch PL of Black Tiger Shrimp, a delicacy is known as “bagda chingri”. Two hazardous techniques are used: net-dragging and netted-closing, which involve large zero-mesh nets with minimal permeability.

These enormous nets, held at opposing ends, are dragged from one side of the coastline to another by the fishers. The purpose of this practice is to capture newly-hatched tiger prawns for the local market’s demand.

The fries are also enclosed in small enclosures so that their eggs will not drift away, causing them to die prematurely.

Concerns have been raised among authorities and conservationists regarding this alarming development. This reckless disregard for fisheries regulations and ecological wellbeing has dire consequences for the coastal districts of Laxmipur, Noakhali, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barguna, Bagerhat, and Satkhira.

Approximately 50,000 people earn around US$30 million annually by collecting shrimp fry from the river in different upazila of the district according to the stakeholders.

Through a recent study, approximately 70-80 other fish fries are inadvertently killed for every tiger shrimp fry caught using net-dragging and netted-closing methods.

According to various informants and resources, there are in fact numerous reasons behind illegal netting.

Firstly, shrimp fries imported legally are expensive. Some farmers resort to illegal methods in order to obtain shrimp fry at a lower cost because obtaining shrimp fry legally can be costly and difficult. For example, 100 pieces of tiger shrimp fries are sold for only US$0.4 or Tk 40. Wholesalers purchase it from local fishers and then sell it to shrimp farmers. In contrast, SPF fry required prices five to six times higher than natural ones.

Secondly, Poverty and lack of alternative livelihood options drive individuals to engage in illegal activities for quick economic gains. For those without access to other income-generating activities, shrimp netting might provide a source of income.

Especially during the banning period when fishermen cannot fish in the sea, they engage in illegal net fishing.

Abdul Hamid, a fisherman from Cox’s Bazar’s Samitipara, said, “We have no savings to sustain us during the ban. We don’t even receive government aid. This is our only option.”

Thirdly, weak enforcement mechanisms and regulatory frameworks can make it easier for farmers to engage in illegal activities without being held accountable. Farmers may take advantage of this situation if monitoring and enforcement are not effective.

To protect the biodiversity of the rivers, the government banned the collection of shrimp fry and eggs from the coastal areas on 21 September 2000.

It appears that the local administration is oblivious to following government instructions because locals have alleged the administration rarely takes action against those who flout government restrictions.

Fourthly, High demand for shrimp fry might lead to shortages, driving some farmers to resort to illegal means to meet their production targets and profit goals.

The Shrimp Hatchery Association of Bangladesh’s secretary, Mohammad Najibur Rahman, said they cannot produce shrimp fries since the ban prohibits them from catching mother fish from the bay.

There are 60 shrimp hatcheries in the country with a combined production capacity of around 1,000 crores post-larva, against a market demand of around 800 crores.

It is a very good season for shrimp cultivation, which is why market demand is high during this time of year.

“Shrimp grow rapidly during this season, but the hatcheries don’t supply us. Therefore, we have to rely on local fishers to provide fries,” explained a commercial fry collector and seller.

Lastly, some farmers might not be fully aware of the environmental and legal consequences of their actions. Illegal netting could negatively impact the ecosystem and shrimp industry sustainability if they do not understand the consequences.

It is possible that this illegal netting could cause severe damage to the finfish industry as a result of this activity.

According to Abdus Shukkur, owner of Sagar Dry Fish, “we struggle to find fish during this period since most of the fry die after hatching. One of the reasons behind this is the destruction of eggs, larvae, and fries while catching tiger shrimp fry on the coastal areas.

What can be done is actually a matter of question. Experts say, however, that if the relevant authorities train people and raise public awareness, it is possible to earn thousands of crores of taka through natural shrimp egg collection.

Nonetheless, training and raising awareness required time and planning. So, until that it is better to implement the laws more strictly and create opportunities for additional source of income to aid the fisher community.

Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Department of Oceanography, NSTU

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