The practice of raising fish with other species (plants or livestock) is known as integrated aquaculture. This technique’s main goal is to produce the most with the least amount of input in the shortest amount of time. Integrated aquaculture refers to the integration of two or more farming pursuits, at least one of which involves the raising of fish.

Types of Integrated aquaculture technique:

The food business is searching for sustainable solutions due to the growing standards, guidelines, and regulations for selling food items in numerous international markets. A strategy used by producers to enhance their sustainability profile is the implementation of integrated aquaculture systems. This technology combines the cultivation of crops or livestock with the polyculture of fish.

1. Plant cum fish culture (Fish mixed with maize, sorghum, millet, beans, peas, and maize, bananas, squash, ginger, or eggplant, coconut trees farming)
2. Livestock cum fish culture (Fish mixed with pig, duck, chicken, cattle, rabbit, poultry farming)

Numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been working on rice-fish culture since the 1990s. Macrobrachium rosenbergii, a type of prawn, is currently excited about increased profit and diversified product. Labeo rohita (Rohu), Catla catla (Catla), Cirrhina mrigala (Mrigel), Cyprinus carpio (Common and Mirror carp), Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Silver carp), Tilapia sp. (Tilapia), Thai barb (Puntius gonionotus), and giant freshwater prawn (M. rosenbergii) are the principal fish species employed.

One kind of system is aquaponics, where plants and fish are grown together and the nutrient-rich water that is left over after fish waste is processed is fed to the plants rather than being discarded. Encouraging Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), an innovative approach of producing finfish with shellfish like oysters and marine plants like seaweeds, is one of the main tactics now in use.

Importance of this:

By adhering to a few guidelines, integrated fish farming can serve as an example of sustainable food production. Water is recycled through biological filtration and re-circulation. The waste products of one biological system serve as nutrients for another. The blending of fish and plants results in a polyculture that boosts yields of multiple products. Local food production increases access to healthful foods and strengthens the local economy.

Together with agriculture or livestock, fish culture is also a unique and profitable endeavor that boosts farm income, offers a cheap source of protein to the agricultural population, boosts productivity on small landholdings, and expands the supply of feed for farm animals.

The culture of rice and fish on the same plot of land is known as rice-fish farming. While the number of fishponds in Bangladesh may be set, there are a lot of paddy and rice fields, and a sizable fraction of these fields are ideal for rice-fish culture. When compared to rice culture alone, rice-fish cultivation can yield higher yields. Since fish eat insects and pests for food, they can reduce insects and other pests that harm the paddy. The rice crop becomes more fertile when semi-fecal or fecal components released from the fish body are used as fertilizer. It is possible to make 60% more money in the Boro season and 90% more in the Aman season.

It also has a significant impact on strengthening the sector’s resistance to climate change and lowering its susceptibility.

Farhana Islam
Agriculturist, Researcher
Fisheries Resource Management, CVASU

The post Integrated aquaculture technique and its importance appeared first on Seafood Network BD.

Shrimp farming that is sustainable safeguards the environment, benefits the communities that depend on it, and ensures stable profits. Shrimp farmers can reduce environmental impact and ensure the sustainability of the industry by implementing sustainable shrimp farming practices, such as closed-system ponds and recirculating aquaculture systems. A sustainable farming practice can also enhance the farm’s reputation and marketability.

Vietnam can be an example of sustainable shrimp farming in the world. The shrimp farming industry has been a big part of the Vietnamese economy for decades. In Vietnam, Penaeus monodon, the scientific name for giant tiger prawns, is the most widely produced product. This ASEAN member produces 816 thousand metric tons annually, making about 37% of all world output.

In spite of its profitable nature, shrimp farming in rural Vietnam is extremely uncertain because of diseases. Precarious rainfall and climate change contribute to the problem, making disease control more difficult.

Despite these challenges, farmers are tackling them in a variety of ways. Farmers in the Mekong delta, for instance, cultivate shrimp using an ecosystem-based approach. Mekong Delta farms produce nearly 95% of all the Black Tiger Prawns harvested in Vietnam.

Earlier in 2013, a program named Mangroves and Markets (MAM) began in this region. Integrated shrimp farming, an environmentally beneficial mode of production, will be used by small-scale intense and enhanced extensive shrimp growers as part of the initiative.

The government also provided farmers with training in organic shrimp growing; some also got financial support for remodeling their shrimp ponds and for locating shrimp seed from authorized hatcheries. As a result, farmers protect mangroves and offer certified organic shrimp to global customers who are willing to pay higher prices for organic seafood.

There are also some initiatives being tested in Vietnam. A notable initiative has been taken by Vietnam-Australia JSC, a foreign-invested shrimp farming company. They pioneered a project called super intensive farming throughout the country. This super intense strategy is undertaken by relocating shrimp farms inside glass houses under strict management.

In addition, farmers now use molecular diagnostic test kits on-site that are convenient, hassle-free, and precise. The analysis allows shrimp farmers to identify diseases in their farms. By detecting diseases immediately, they are able to curb losses from diseases.

There is great potential for sustainable shrimp farming in Vietnam in the future. With state and private interests aligning, Vietnam’s shrimp industry is steadily moving toward more sustainable, stable production methods.

By 2050, Vietnam aims to export $10 billion worth of shrimp, presenting a vast and untapped market. In recognition of this potential, the Vietnamese government actively supports the industry’s sustainable development.

While Vietnam has become a leader in sustainable shrimp farming, Bangladesh offers the opposite example.

In Bangladesh, shrimp farming has expanded rapidly in largely unplanned and unregulated ways. The regulatory efforts to curb the expansion have largely been ineffective.

Both environment and society are adversely affected by this haphazard and unplanned method of shrimp farming. For example, a large portion of the 75 km² of mangrove vegetation that existed in 1975 in the ‘Chakaria Sundarbans’ has been cleared for shrimp farming, leaving a sparse scrub forest of 9.73 km².

A way to improve the sustainability of the shrimp farming industry in Bangladesh would be by introducing Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) into the industry so that it could become more sustainable. To implement ICZM on a large scale, four key areas must be addressed in order for it to be successful;

1. Financing
2. Scientific and Technological Means
3. Human Resource Development
4. Capacity-building.

Furthermore, a community-based monitoring system may be the most promising approach to reducing the impacts of shrimp farming on society, the economy, and the environment The shrimp industry plays a significant role in the economic development of a country as it offers employment opportunities and drives the growth of the GDP. Despite this, this vital sector is faced with mounting competition and a variety of challenges that require innovative solutions. The development of sustainable practices in this vital sector can be promoted when countries address these challenges through sustainable means.

Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Department of Oceanography, NSTU

The post Sustainable shrimp farming, a win-win for economy and environment appeared first on Seafood Network BD.

Alternative to removing forests to create a way for water bodies, integrated shrimp-mangrove aquaculture preserves at least fifty percent of the land for Rhizophora trees — the native tropical mangroves. In return, the trees provide shrimp, crustaceans, and fish with nutrients, nurseries, and reproductive grounds.

Therefore, this farming technique is practiced throughout the globe including the Mekong Delta of Vietnam.

For many years, ‘integrated shrimp-mangrove’ ponds in the southern Vietnamese province of Ca Mau, on the Mekong Delta, have been lauded for supplying low-cost organic products and stable harvests while preserving mangroves.

This year, however, the harvest is lower than usual, which farmers attribute to recent unusual weather.

During the arid season from December to May, unanticipated rain has altered the brackish water that shrimp require for survival. Moreover, colder-than-usual weather has made it difficult for shrimp to thrive.

“They must spend weeks hibernating in the mud,” says Thac, a 49-year-old farmer. While trapped in the freshwater, they consume very little. The majority die before they reach adulthood, he added.

He said that: “Our shrimp, crabs, fish, and mangroves depend entirely on the environment.” “And when it alters, it ruins everything up, and our wrists are tied,” Thac added.

Integrated mangrove shrimp cultivation is unquestionably lucrative for Thac and other farmers of the region. Since the system produces organic, nutritious prawns in three to four months. These are more expensive than conventionally produced shrimp, fetching up to USD 13 per kilogram, and are in customer demand on international markets such as the European Union.

Thac’s native district of Ngoc Hien, where 23,000 hectares are devoted to integrated shrimp mangrove cultivation, is where the system is most prevalent. However, this year it appears that luck is not on their side. And the majority of producers attribute these conditions to the climate. In fact, mangrove forests play a significant role in determining the climate of this tropical region.

On paper, it appears to be a win-win situation: both mangroves and farmers are benefited. The statistics also support this as the overall amount of mangrove decline in the Mekong Delta owing to aquaculture has decreased from 2,440 hectares annually between 1973 and 1990 to 1,490 hectares between 2010 and 2020.

But integrated farming creates the illusion that mangroves are being preserved, but this is not the case. Despite the attempts of the government and international organizations, mangroves continue to disappear. Changes in sea level, flooding, environmental impact, and the continual operation of upstream hydropower facilities have all contributed to the retreat of mangroves inland.

Furthermore, in recent years, precipitation during the wet season has increased in intensity and frequency, while it has decreased during the dry season. Therefore, the saline water of the Mekong Delta has gotten more salty and less suitable for the survival and growth of mangrove seedlings.

Moreover, tensions continue to exist between forest requirements and aquaculture industry demands. And both climate change, as well as the effects of upland dams, are aggravating the situation.

Therefore, it is not actually a win-win situation. Multiple farmers reported that the leaves of mangrove trees falling into their waters altered their condition. The tannic acid present in mangrove leaves can alter the pH levels of the water. When water parameters change as a result of this, shrimp die.

And compared to shrimp, whose rapid growth helps farmer’s families to profit every three months, it takes mangroves at least ten years to reach the optimal 12-centimeter diameter for timber harvesting which is a huge demerit for this integrated method.

The combined shrimp-mangrove systems were marketed as a ‘win-win’ proposition, but the actual situation proves otherwise. The matter of what can be done in this domain is therefore crucial.

Iris van Duren, a Dutch expert on pond ecology who has worked to promote awareness of the significance of mangroves and the integrated system for the Mekong Delta, states, “It’s a hard way, but there is surely hope.”

However, research indicates that financial incentives for farmers to maintain the mangroves on their land may be a more effective approach than punitive measures taken by regulators.

Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Department of Oceanography, NSTU

The post Declining mangroves rings the bell, Vietnamese integrated shrimp cultivation at risk appeared first on Seafood Network BD.

Bangladesh attains self-sufficiency in fish production and supplements of the population’s total daily animal protein intake. Thanks to the fisheries industry, which is presently making a significant contribution to meet the food requirements of the country’s growing population, creating jobs, reducing poverty, and bringing foreign currency.

To raise fish production and to satisfy the expanding population’s demand for protein, producers in the country have long been using antibiotics and pesticides to cultivate fish and hormones in artificial fish breeding, thereby jeopardizing food safety.

Infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites commonly affect aquaculture productivity in Bangladesh. So, fish farmers routinely use aqua-chemicals such as antibiotics and pesticides to reduce the prevalence of diseases in fish farming. In aquaculture, numerous antibiotics, including oxytetracycline, amoxycillin, and sulphadiazine-trimethoprim, are frequently used for treating or preventing fish diseases. These are also used to enhance water quality, the yield of fish culture ponds, and also function as growth stimulants.

The application of these compounds has drawn criticism for the potential adverse effects on the environment and human health, despite aiding in the expansion and development of the aquaculture industry.

“Undoubtedly, antibiotics have negative effects. In our nation, aquaculture fish producers utilize antibiotics carelessly,” said Benoy Kumar Barman, senior scientist at WorldFish.

According to Mohammad Habibur Rahman, the Department of Fisheries’ chief scientific officer (fisheries inspection and quality control), antibiotics carry health risks. For this reason, the department constantly requests farmers not to use antibiotics and pesticides in fish farming, he added.

Moreover, hormones are increasingly used in conjunction with antibiotics to produce fish. In the early 1980s, agricultural extension projects funded by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization started intensive fish farming in Bangladesh.

One thousand fifty-six fish hatcheries produce 98% of the fish fry through intensive fish farming method. These hatcheries have been using induced breeding techniques to boost fish production.

Induced breeding is a technique in which fish, that do not reproduce in still bodies of water, will do so while being influenced by hormones or stimulants. Artificial reproduction, also known as induced breeding, is administering stimulants, hormones, or pituitary extracts to fish larvae to induce controlled spawning away from the natural environment.

Fish farming practices that involve hormones run the risk of endangering human and environmental health and other factors that are influenced by hormones. Hormone exposure can result in endocrine abnormalities in people, including early puberty in children, increased bone aging, detrimental effects on growth, altered sexual characteristics, and the onset of cancer.

Habibur Rahman stated that the department has already instructed all hatcheries not to apply hormones in fish breeding because it harms humans and the environment.

The contamination of water sources with toxins has also grown to be a serious problem. With 6,000 major and medium-sized industries and 24,000 small ones, Bangladesh’s industrial expansion has accelerated recently. These industries frequently discharge untreated refuse and chemicals into open bodies of water, such as rivers, wetlands, and canals.

These contaminants accumulate in common fish and bivalve species due to water body contamination. These harmful heavy metals, released into the aquatic environment have the potential to biomagnify and enter the food chain, where they may cause a variety of health problems.

Recently, aquaculture fish has acquired a bad reputation as a health hazard medium. Intensive aquaculture, poor farming practices, inadequate hygiene, and contaminated waters enhance the risk of disease in fish and the use of antibiotics.

Antibiotics, growth hormones, and insecticides are prohibited by law in animal and fish feed in Bangladesh. But in the lack of adequate regulations, there is a risk that many antibiotics, including medically essential ones, will become available over the country for purchase.

In addition, research indicates that 88% of fish farmers lack of adequate knowledge of antibiotic use, and 81% are oblivious to the optimal chemical concentrations for fish farming. Therefore, appropriate monitoring programs and fundamental education are required to resolve this critical issue.

Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Department of Oceanography, NSTU

The post Fish production increases, so does the concern appeared first on Seafood Network BD.

Scopes of women involvement in fisheries sector:

Women can participate in fisheries activities after fulfilling their traditional household responsibilities. This allows their male counterparts to work elsewhere, while allowing women to supplement the family income. Women are essential at every stage of the value chain in small-scale fisheries. Their most well-known roles include fish processing and marketing, as well as participation in fisheries resource management and decision-making.

Rural women make significant contributions to seasonal fish drying, processing and manufacturing. Women are also involved in activities such as fingerling sorting, fishing gear repair and maintenance, fish processing, and transportation. Women’s complementary roles are changing, and activities such as feeding and other management activities for aquaculture such as marketing are increasing.

Farmers in Bangladesh’s southern region were primarily engaged in commercial shrimp and fish culture, as well as homestead aquaculture. Ponds in homestead areas were important resources for fish culture in both freshwater and coastal areas of Bangladesh’s southern region, with a high potential for female participation. Homestead aquaculture involves more households than commercial shrimp or fish culture. Women were drawn to homestead aquaculture because of the simpler technologies, low levels of investment, proximity of ponds to homes, and lower levels of production risk. Small-scale aquaculture in homestead areas blended well with existing cultural norms for women, resulting in higher levels of participation.

Women are also more aware than men of the advantages of harvesting small fish from homestead ponds for household consumption on a regular basis. Aquaculture can be an integral component of development in poor rural communities, contributing to sustainable livelihoods and improving social well-being. Women’s pond fish culture has thus significantly contributed to food security, income generation, trade, and improved living standards in many other developing countries.

Steps of organizations to empower women:

Government policy in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors reflects the lack of formal recognition of women’s work. This lack of recognition is the primary cause of women’s exclusion from government programs and schemes, as well as from work regulation. Govt. tried to active women in outdoor activities through providing loans, incentives, and training. Besides GOs, different NGOs (WorldFish, SDF etc.) also try to provide different capacity build up training related to the fisheries sector such as fish culture technique, safe and hygienic dry fish production technique.

Understanding the role of women in sustainable fisheries development is critical to ensuring food security, income generation, trade, and improved living standards in many developing countries. Their involvement in pond fish culture is one issue that must be addressed when dealing with rural communities and poverty alleviation among rural women.

Farhana Islam
Agriculturist, Researcher
Fisheries Resource Management, CVASU

The post Women in fishery can be a catalyst for sustainable aquaculture of Bangladesh appeared first on Seafood Network BD.

A multi-phase shrimp farming system incorporates a nursery phase between the hatcheries and the grow-out ponds. This can enhance farm management, increase productivity, and reduce harvest time.

Hasanuddin Atjo is one of Indonesia’s pioneers of the nursery system. Atjo believes that implementing a nursery phase when cultivating shrimp might boost annual output by reducing the length of grow-out periods and enhancing survival rates.

Atjo explained that the shrimp development cycle resembles a sigmoid curve, beginning with a period of slow growth, followed by a period of rapid growth, and finally ending with a period of slower growth.

During the initial sluggish development phase, which lasts for the first 50 days after hatching, cell division occurs steadily in the shrimp’s body. In this time they do not need an extensive pond. Nonetheless, nutrition and the environment must be enhanced for better health of the shrimp. Consequently, shrimp don’t need a large pond during their slow growth phase, which continues for the first 50 days following hatching. Still, nutrition and the environment must be controlled.

Atjo suggests that this is the optimal moment to transfer shrimp to larger ponds. In addition, the larger juveniles collected from the nursery can adapt to varying environments. Moreover, they will perform better if their environment and nutrition are regulated carefully. Atjo explains that After being transferred from the nursery,  the grow-out phase should last between 70 and 90 days.

“Another reason to consider the nursery system is that it allows for the optimization of shrimp nutrition,” he added.

There are actually many important advantages to nursery systems. In general, they make it easier to control and handle the young shrimp in a way that is practical and good for the economy.

Increased organizational control and biosecurity is one key benefit. By limiting the culture area and capacity into a series of densely stocked and managed tanks/raceways, it is possible to have a much higher level of control over several environmental parameters, feeds and feeding, and water quality. These actions lead to better economic efficiency.

Also, controlling smaller unit areas or volumes makes it easier to keep out pathogens, predators, and competitors through mechanical, chemical, or biological filtration. And it is possible to get a more accurate estimate of the number of juveniles and control the death rate of grow-out stocking, which is a big help in handling feed during the pond production phase.

In some parts of Vietnam, indoor feeding systems let PLs (Post Larvae) be stocked early during the colder months and give them a head start on growth. Closed intensive nursery systems can make the stocking window for yearly hatchery outputs even bigger.

For farms that aren’t connected to hatcheries, intensive nursery head-start tactics may make it possible to buy seed stock before peak demand times for less money and with a better chance of getting seed stock.

There are also some problems with nursery systems, such as the need for more infrastructure (which costs more to build than traditional pond systems) and more trained manpower are needed (often to the level of hatchery operators). The system is much less forgiving of mistakes, failures, and problems made by the operator or with parts or tools.

Systematically producing shrimp in a regulated and effective manner is made achievable by shrimp nursing systems, which are crucial improvement for the aquaculture sector. These systems can help to provide a dependable and sustainable source of shrimp for consumption by offering a regulated environment for young shrimp to grow and mature.

Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Department of Oceanography, NSTU

The post Intensive Shrimp Nursery System Offers Sustainable Shrimp Culture appeared first on Seafood Network BD.

According to the FAO, 89% of the world’s aquatic animal production was used for human consumption. While the remaining 11 % is primarily used to create fishmeal and fish oil. In 2020, China was by far the largest producer of fish and other marine organisms. The nation accounted for 57% of total aquaculture production.

Although aquaculture is most commonly associated with food, fishmeal, and revenue, it also offers other important benefits. It may also come as a surprise to some that, aquaculture could have untapped potential to address conservational needs. Such benefits are sometimes overlooked.

Species recovery

By repopulating natural habitats with farmed fish, aquaculture can aid in the recovery of fish species. To prevent extinction and to restore natural populations, species recovery efforts for fish are ongoing around the world. Such as the white sturgeon in North America, the golden mahseer in India, and the Macquarie perch in Australia.

Fort Folly Habitat Recovery directs Atlantic salmon conservation and recovery work in the Petitcodiac river system, which historically produced 20 percent of the entire inner bay population.

Tim Robinson, manager of Fort Folly Habitat Recovery, claims that the aquaculture sector offers a significant contribution to salmon conservation by aiding teams in successfully rearing bigger numbers of Atlantic salmon in their native oceanic environment and returning them to a number of rivers.

Habitat Restoration

Recent research demonstrates that shellfish and seaweed farms can assist economic development and food production in coastal communities globally, as well as provide restorative benefits for ocean health. This can be done if the correct techniques are implemented in the right places. Aquaculture is, therefore, a crucial strategy for restoring depleted shellfish reefs.

Habitat Rehabilitation

Decades of human activity have degraded inland aquatic environments, prompting major efforts to repair freshwater habitats for fisheries and aquatic resources. Similar to restoration, habitat rehabilitation employs cultured organisms to recover an ecosystem to a partially functional state. For example, partial recovery may be accomplished by putting cultured coral species onto endangered coral reefs.

Habitat Protection

The sandy, muddy, or rocky bottom may appear to have nothing to offer, yet it is actually teeming with life and is home to numerous important species. Trawling and dredging along the seafloor can damage these vital habitats. While these environments supply food, shelter, and breeding grounds, destructive fishing can have long-term negative consequences on the species that fishermen are attempting to capture.

In this scenario, aquaculture can provide benefits by compensating for the pressure on natural resources.

Long-snouted Mediterranean seahorses occupying mussel farms might be a good example. The mussels provide a platform for other species to attach to, which the seahorse subsequently preys upon. The farms also protect the environment from trawling, which safeguards the seahorses’ food source and habitat.

Bioremediation

Bioremediation is the utilization of living organisms (bacteria, fungus, actinomycetes, cyanobacteria, and to a lesser extent, plants) to reduce or eliminate hazardous contaminants. These organisms may be either naturally occurring or grown in a laboratory.

Bioremediation procedures through aquaculture are simple to adopt and easy to maintain. It also limits the quantity of waste that must be disposed of in landfills. This can be performed on-site or off-site, and the current strategy of bioremediation is to apply microbes/ enzymes to the aquaculture ponds which enhances water quality.

Coastal Protection

Aquaculture activities can contribute to adaptation to climate change by offering direct or indirect protection against coastal risks.

Infrastructure for aquaculture in the coastal zone can reduce wave energy and stabilize the shoreline. Using cultured organisms to restore or develop coastal defense ecosystems, also known as living shorelines or nature-based coastal defense, is therefore conceivable.

As long-term coastal defenses, oyster culture has enormous potential compared to more expensive alternatives such as beach/shore nourishment, wave barrier fencing, dune grass planting, and the usage of mangroves and artificial reefs.

Biological Control and Removal of Species

Similar to bioremediation, cultured species can be introduced into a habitat to reduce the number of pests via consumption. For example, utilizing weevils to prevent the growth of water hyacinths.

Removing an overabundant species from a habitat can enhance the ecosystem while allowing the species to continue to reproduce on farms.

Overabundant sea urchins contribute to the degeneration of kelp and related creatures, according to the experts. By transferring the urchins to aquaculture facilities, the natural habitat’s biodiversity can flourish, and the urchins can be made more commercially viable by increasing their roe count through the use of specialized diets.

Species Conservation

Aquaculture is becoming a crucial tool for supporting the recovery of marine species in decline and meeting human requirements. For example, the formation of a refuge population of the imperiled delta smelt (Hypomysis transpacificus) and a range of coral species to protect against extinction can result in ex-situ conservation benefits.

If natural populations were gone, captive populations maintained for commercial aquaculture may provide an ex-situ conservation service.

Wild Harvest Replacement

The cultivation of an organism to substitute wild harvest and to reduce strain on wild populations has the potential to meet conservation goals. Through aquaculture, it is more economical to cultivate organisms than to harvest them from the wild. Also, cultivating exotic species is less expensive than purchasing identical organisms on the black market.

Marine conservation and restoration through aquaculture are achievable through careful monitoring and incentive management programs. To encourage commercial aquaculture sectors, it should be a top priority to build an internationally recognized accreditation system for ecologically friendly aquaculture.

Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Department of Oceanography, NSTU

The post The overlooked benefits of Aquaculture appeared first on Seafood Network BD.

Strategies for sustainable aquaculture growth:

Expansion of sustainable aquaculture necessitates additional technological innovations, policy support, and incentives throughout the value chain. Access to water, optimization of carrying capacity, identification and allocation of aquaculture zones, streamlining of licensing procedures in conjunction with good environmental practices and monitoring, availability of trained and skilled labor, production of quality seed and feeds, regulation of the use of chemicals and antibiotics, and stringent biosecurity protocols are examples of these.

Aquaculture can be developed in a variety of ways that are sustainable, such as ecological aquaculture, organic aquaculture, composite fish culture, integrated aquaculture, and closed recirculation systems.

Genetic improvement in breeding programs:

The genetic improvement of farmed species is a powerful tool for increasing aquaculture production efficiency. It contributes to a lower environmental footprint by lowering feed, land, and water requirements per unit of production. Aquaculture species from various taxa share two key characteristics: high intraspecific genetic diversity and high fecundity. These characteristics enable high selection intensities to be used, resulting in significant genetic gains for commercially important traits.

Biosecurity and disease control:

Aquaculture intensification and globalization of aquatic product trade have resulted in the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases, posing a significant economic and environmental challenge to society. The Progressive Management Pathway for Improving Aquaculture Biosecurity (PMP/AB) is a groundbreaking initiative launched in 2018 by FAO and partners. It was created as an extension of the progressive control pathway (PCP) approach, which has been widely adopted around the world to help countries develop systematic frameworks for planning and monitoring risk reduction strategies for the reduction, elimination, and eradication of major livestock and zoonotic diseases. This step-by-step approach allows for the definition and achievement of realistic disease control objectives.

Digitalization in aquaculture:

Digital applications are increasingly being deployed in aquaculture particularly to improve business planning and siting, farm stock management, environmental monitoring. It can also improve risk prevention, biosecurity, and intelligent automation of routine farm activities.

Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture:

Nutrients from uneaten feed and excreted waste of fed species become food for extractive species in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) systems, reducing nutrient release into the environment while increasing overall productivity. There is growing interest in IMTA as part of Blue Transformation programs; however, combining multiple species into an integrated system (e.g., seaweed farming and bivalve mollusk culture combined with finfish cage farming) requires significant architecture of facilities and equipment, as well as additional management to produce and market the multiple crops. IMTA, as a bioremediation system at sea, offers a potential solution to the problems caused by organic and inorganic wastes released into the environment by marine fed aquaculture.

To achieve future demand and reduce reliance on imports, aquaculture must grow faster than its current rate. Government assistance and private investment are urgently required for long-term growth.

Farhana Islam
Agriculturist, Researcher
Fisheries Resource Management, CVASU

The post Sustainable aquaculture is one of the key way to feed the growing population appeared first on Seafood Network BD.

There is a common conception that Bangladeshi shrimp is expensive than shrimp from others competing countries because of less production and quality. Although this fact is occasionally true but it is not always the case. Bangladesh shrimp industry is driven by the native species bagda or Black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon), unlike the world shrimp market, which is dominated by Pacific white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus Vannamei).

Local exporters charge approximately around $8 per kilo for Black Tiger shrimp on an average. In contrast, competing nations offer Vannamei shrimp, which are sold at lower price and its $2-$2.5 less than the average price of Black Tiger shrimp from Bangladesh. Ecuador, Argentina, Thailand, Vietnam, China and India produce huge quantities of Vannamei shrimp yearly.
Hence, the cost-effective Vannamei shrimp attracts exporters more than the black tiger shrimp. As Bangladesh falls behind in Vannamei production, a substantial export market is lost.
The CGIAR, an intensive research platform, performed a study to identify the concerns encountered by the shrimp industry, including interviews with 25 multi-stakeholder experts, to better understand the issues faced by the shrimp sector.
The study found that despite modest gains in yields and technological approaches, such as farm and feed management, the industry is nevertheless beset by serious structural issues. The survival of shrimp and the output of the farms are restricted by small farm ponds and shrimp farming in ghers. Infrastructure is urgently needed, particularly for structures to deepen ponds and enhance water management.
Moreover, in the absence of collateral, farmers receive little or no financial assistance, particularly from formal institutions. Shrimp farming, in contrast to other species, requires specialized expertise. Therefore, it becomes a high-risk endeavor for small farmers who lack such knowledge and the necessary resources.

“The country’s aquaculture is expanding, but its small-scale shrimp farmers still require assistance,” said SM Shaheen Anwar, chief of the Safe Aqua Farming for Economic and Trade Improvement (SAFETI) project in Bangladesh. “So, shrimp production is not growing at the predicted rate,” he added.

Similarly, the issue of assuring the disease-free status of farmed shrimp is also connected. According to specialists, local production of specific-pathogen-free (SPF) post-larvae satisfied 10% of the nation’s demand for black tiger shrimp in the fiscal year 2021-22, while 90% were locally sourced which is diseased or infested fry.

As a result, shrimp farmers around the country are forced to rely on disease prone or infested post-larvae because of a lack of high-quality shrimp fry. This has a negative impact on total productivity and diminishes the prospects for increased exports.

There are now three hatcheries producing SPF larvae in Bangladesh: MKA Hatchery, Desh Bangla SPF Hatchery and Fishtech BD Ltd. One of the hatcheries, MKA Hatchery, reported that it could only produce 500 million SPF post-larvae annually.

On the other hand, because no SPF larvae of other species of shrimp are generated in the country, hatcheries rely solely on wild shrimp to produce shrimp larvae. Farmers receive only 2% of quality post larvae from private hatcheries to their total demand.

Less than 3% of Monodon’s Post Larvae (PL) are derived from imported broods, whilst the remainder PL is derived from wild broods. Heavy reliance on the wild results in variable production quality and hinders the development of commercial hatcheries within the ecosystem.

In addition, reliance on traditional farming techniques does not support commercial hatcheries, which limits production. Most of Bangladesh’s hatcheries use the outdated extensive method or gher system, as opposed to the current Intensive or Semi-Intensive approach employed by the leading shrimp-producing nations.

Intensive and semi-intensive methods can produce several times more shrimp per year than conventional methods. In comparison to the Extensive approach, the Intensive and Semi-Intensive methods are significantly more expensive due to the utilization of experienced labor and complex technology. Thus, many Bangladeshi hatcheries have not yet implemented this latest technology.

In FY2021-22, only 33,271 tons of shrimp were produced in Khulna region, gradual decrease can be observed from 42,489 tons in FY2011-12. Industry experts says high disease rate, salinity and tidal fluctuation are attributed to this decrease in production. The varying salinity level generated by the moon’s gravitational pull on natural high tides has an effect on shrimp culture in the region. While rising water temperatures are responsible for the spread of viruses. The virus life cycle is temperature dependent. Airborne viruses have made heated water their new home, infecting and killing larvae in large numbers.

Most people think that bagda, with an emphasis on market expansion and international branding, continues to provide Bangladesh’s finest potential. Experts also noted the expanding domestic market for shrimp and prawns as evidence that exporting did not necessarily have to be the main goal.

Using sustainable production methods, it may also be possible to target niche markets for shrimp. The majority of industry experts said that a comprehensive policy for shrimp and a dedicated organization devoted to expanding the shrimp sector is necessary. These would make it possible to concentrate on shrimp, continue government and private sector initiatives and identify certain coastal zones. Therefore, in order for the industry to change its current trajectory, it needs an enabling setting and assistance at the farm level in 2023.

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The mullet seeds enter the traditional aquaculture farms through the sluice-gates at high tide and grow there until harvest. Grey mullet is typically raised in semi-intensive polyculture ponds alongside milkfish, common carp, grass carp, silver carp, and tilapia. Due to their omnivorous eating style, mullet is regarded as a top candidate for sustainable aquaculture.

The Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) brackish water Station Paikgacha, located near Khulna in the southern area of Bangladesh, made one attempt to perform greenback mullet fish cultivation. In 2015, three trials (each requiring 150 days of culture) of green back mullet were carried out over a five-month period (March to July) in nine experimental ponds. The production and financial results were extremely positive, which would provide profit to farmers, particularly in southern Bangladesh.

It has high demand both in the domestic market and abroad. This fish is naturally generated in large quantities as a wild capture in the ghers. To boost the productivity of the ghers, it is now essential to design an appropriate culture technology for this species. However, there hasn’t yet been any attempt made in this direction. Greenback mullet, Chelon subviridis, breeding, seed production and culture technology need to be improved in recognition of the fish’s significance. In order for mullet fish to grow and survive at their best, excellent water quality must be maintained.

Mullets can be raised in saltwater or freshwater environments, for that the seed needs to be appropriately acclimated. There is a considerable mariculture region in Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s mullet fish culture has the potential to improve food security, employment prospects and livelihood income. It will contribute to Bangladesh’s increased economic viability. On-growing methodology, in shallow coastal water bodies and netted enclosures in semi-intensive ponds, flat head grey mullet can be raised in polyculture.

Mullet fish cultivation can be beneficial in many ways. They consume inexpensive food and gain satisfactory growth. It is regarded as an effective bioremediator in aquaculture and frequently utilized in polyculture systems to improve sediment quality because of its benthic feeding behavior.

Traditional brackish water aquaculture can include mullet. The mangrove forests offer a suitable habitat for the fish’s larval, juvenile and subadult stages. It is obvious that gathering fish seeds from the wild will have a negative impact on the species’ natural population. The majority of the mullet species in the area often breed at the same time, resulting in the mingling of seeds from related species in shoals.

By reducing extreme poverty and development obstacles, Bangladesh must preserve its extraordinary development achievements. In Bangladesh, mullet fish culture has the potential to open up new doors for farmers’ socioeconomic advancement. This possible culture system needs to be improved through additional study and research.

Farhana Islam
Agriculturist, Researcher
Fisheries Resource Management, CVASU

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