27 Bagha farmers start cage fish farming in Padma River

RAJSHAHI, Apr 2: Fish farming in floating cages in the Padma River has been popular in different upazilas of the district for the last couples of years due to quick profit and easy cultivation process.
This year, two months back, a total of 27 farmers at Alaipur of Bagha upazila have started cage fish farming commercially for the first time. Now they are passing very busy time to take care of the fish.
According to field sources, the fish cultivators here mainly farm monosex tilapia in the cages, and more fishermen are becoming interested in this process as it has proved cost effective and profitable. The fish produced in this way has a great taste.
The upazila agricultural office trained the fishermen in this connection, the sources said.
While talking with The Daily Observer, Naoshad Ali, president of Alaipur Fishermen Samity, said that the farmers have completed a training on floating cage fishing in the Padma River and started monosex tilapia fish farming at 30 cages two months back.
The fishermen have started floating cage farming as the economical condition is not good to take pond lease for farming, he said.
By the next two months, they would start to sell fish in the market. If the government would support the poor fishermen economically, they could be self-reliant and play an important role in the development of the rural economy, he added.   
 Some fishermen said that they have not much money to dig a pond or take lease for fish farming. Now they can easily cultivate floating cage fish in the  river. Many farmers including unemployed youths have started fish farming in this way.
The cost of making such a cage is Tk 15,000. On an average, fisherman can produce around 1,000 tilapia fish in each cage. Each of the fish gains weight of 400 to 500 grams within four months and can be marketed, they said.
Upazila Fisheries Officer Amirul Islam said in cage fish farming, farmers have to give little food, and the fish grows quickly to be sold in the market within  three to four months.  For this reason, cage fish farming is very profitable, and many farmers including unemployed youths are showing interest.
Meanwhile, some of them have completed training on cage system fishing which will help increase fish production in the area, the officer added.