The gourmand people in Bangladesh, especially, the rural people always try to take their meals in the noon with tasty and lucrative fishes. Pabda, a traditional local species of smaller size fish is fond of all.
To save the decaying variety of fishes (DoF), like Pabda, the department of fisheries (DoF) has taken an initiative. With their encouragement and technical support of the fisheries department, the fish farmers have been regaining their confidence to cultivate the same at their ponds and other water bodies in Kaliganj in Jhenidah.
The DoF has provided this sort of support to a fish farmer Momrej Ali Biswas, 49, of Nischintapur village. The farming has ensured better profit for the farmer and other farmers in surrounding areas have been leaning towards to profitable and decaying variety of Pabda.
Momrej Ali Biswas said he started Pabda farming on a 25 decimal water body in 2018 with the financial and technical support of local DoF. He earned Taka 30 thousand as net profit. Witnessing the significant profit, the farmer now expanded the farming on a total of six hectares of water body at Teltupi village in same upazila.
The fish farmer said he released three lakh Pabda prawns on six hectares of land with Taka one each. He also released 6,000 carp prawns during the time. In December last he harvested 12 tones of mature Pabda and sold for Taka 45 lakh. He is expecting another Taka 10 lakh from the carps within a few weeks. The farming might ensure him Taka 15 lakh in a year excluding all expenses, Momrej Ali Biswas said.
According to the farmer, usually the Pabda is sold at Taka 300 to 350 each kilogram in Kaliganj and surrounding markets, while the purchasers from neighboring country gives money.
Kaliganj upazila fisheries officer (UFO) Saidur Rahman Reza when contacted said the provided initial support to Momrej Ali Biswas under a project Greater Jashore Fish Development Project under the session 2017-18. The project was aimed at rearing decaying variety of fishes like koi, puti, pabda, royna, tengra and some other varieties.
Success of fish farmer Momrej Ali Biswas has been encouraging the fish farmers to practice the same for the betterment of their socio-economic state, as well as contribute a lot in expanding the decaying varieties for the good eater people of the country, UFO said.
