Fisheries by Adib
Bangladesh Fisheries & Aquaculture
A comprehensive reference for students, researchers, farmers and policymakers. Covering fish farming, diseases, species biology, fisheries laws, career pathways and natural resource statistics of Bangladesh.
Fish Farming Techniques
Pond culture, IPRS, RAS, biofloc, cage & pen culture methods
Diseases & Treatment
34 diseases — bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic with dosages
Research & Articles
50 curated research papers across 5 domains with journal links
Species Information
100 species — freshwater & marine, indigenous & exotic
Policies & Regulations
20 national laws, policies and international commitments
Career in Fisheries
Government, academic, private and NGO pathways with salaries
Fisheries Resources
Rivers, haors, beels, EEZ, production stats and global rankings
Monoculture
A single species is cultured in a pond under controlled conditions. Allows precise feed management and species-specific care. Common species: Pangasius, Tilapia, Koi. High stocking density (5,000–10,000/ha). Risk: disease outbreaks spread rapidly.
More Info →Polyculture (Mixed Culture)
Multiple species occupying different ecological niches are stocked together. The classic Rohu-Catla-Mrigal combination exploits surface, middle and bottom water zones. Reduces feed waste and improves water quality. Widely practiced in peri-urban and rural Bangladesh.
More Info →Integrated Fish Farming
Fish culture is combined with livestock (ducks, poultry, cattle) or crops (rice, vegetables). Duck-fish and poultry-fish integration are most common. Animal wastes fertilize ponds, growing natural food organisms. A traditional yet highly efficient and low-cost system.
More Info →Semi-intensive Pond Culture
Combines natural pond productivity with supplementary feeding using rice bran, mustard oilcake and commercial pellets. Stocking density: 2,500–5,000/ha. Widely adopted by small and medium-scale farmers. Balances production with input cost.
More Info →Intensive Pond Culture
High stocking density (10,000–30,000/ha) requiring complete reliance on commercial feed. Requires aeration, water quality monitoring and regular management. Higher capital investment but significantly greater yield per unit area. Common for Pangas and Tilapia.
More Info →IPRS — Concept & Design
A fish raceway (typically 4m×8m×2m concrete channel) is placed inside a larger pond. Water is pushed through the raceway using paddlewheel aerators, creating a unidirectional flow. Fish are confined in the raceway while the pond acts as a bioreactor, treating waste.
More Info →IPRS — Production Advantages
Allows intensive stocking (100–200 kg/m³) in the raceway. Enables selective harvesting without draining the pond. Waste settles at the raceway end for easy removal. Proven to produce 5–10× more fish per unit area than conventional ponds.
More Info →IPRS — Management
Continuous aeration is critical. Daily feeding at 2–5% body weight with high-quality pellets. Water quality monitored for DO (>5 mg/L), ammonia (<0.1 mg/L), pH 7–8. Suitable for Tilapia, Catfish, Rohu. Grow-out period: 5–7 months.
More Info →Biofloc Technology (BFT)
Microorganisms (bacteria, algae, protozoa) are cultivated in high-nitrogen water to form floc particles that serve as feed. Drastically reduces feed conversion ratio and water exchange. Widely used for Vannamei shrimp and Tilapia. DO must be maintained above 4 mg/L at all times.
More Info →Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS)
A land-based, closed-loop system where 95–99% of water is recycled through mechanical and biological filtration. Allows year-round production independent of climate. Very high capital cost limits adoption in Bangladesh, but pilot projects exist at BAU and BFRI.
More Info →Super-Intensive Shrimp (Vannamei)
Pacific white shrimp (L. vannamei) cultured in lined ponds at 200–400 PL/m². Zero water exchange with biofloc management. Probiotics and immunostimulants used to control disease. Harvest in 90–120 days at 12–15g body weight.
More Info →Aquaponics
Integrates fish culture (typically Tilapia or Koi) with hydroponic plant production. Fish waste provides nutrients for plants; plants filter water for fish. An almost zero-waste system suited for urban and peri-urban settings. Emerging in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet.
More Info →Cage Culture in Rivers & Haors
Fish are confined in net cages anchored in rivers, reservoirs, and haors. Common cage sizes: 4m×4m×2m to 10m×10m×3m. Species: Tilapia, Pangasius, Snakehead. Practiced in the Jamuna, Padma, Meghna and major haor systems.
More Info →Pen Culture in Floodplains
Large sections of floodplains or shallow water bodies are enclosed with bamboo poles and nets. Fish (often juveniles) are stocked and fed. The enclosed area may span several hectares. Practiced in Sylhet haors and Mymensingh regions.
More Info →Rice-Fish Culture
Fish (Rohu, Mrigal, Goldfish) are stocked in rice paddies during the monsoon season. Fish consume insects and weeds, reducing pesticide needs. Fish waste fertilizes rice. Yields: 200–500 kg fish/ha alongside normal rice harvest.
More Info →Shrimp-Rice Integration
In coastal polders (especially Khulna and Bagerhat), tidal water brings wild shrimp juveniles into rice paddies. During dry season, fields are used for Bagda shrimp ghers; in monsoon season, rice is grown. This seasonal rotation sustains livelihoods.
More Info →Dike-Based Vegetable-Fish Culture
Pond dikes are used to grow vegetables (gourds, beans, spinach), while fish are raised in ponds below. Vegetables receive pond water as fertilizer; fish receive vegetable trimmings as feed supplement. A synergistic, highly productive system.
More Info →Duck-Fish Culture
Ducks are raised on platforms over or around fish ponds. Duck droppings directly fertilize the pond, promoting phytoplankton and zooplankton growth as natural fish food. Reduces feed costs by 20–30%. Stocking: 200–300 ducks/ha.
More Info →Gher-Based Shrimp Farming
Traditional tidal embankment-based culture in coastal Bangladesh. Water enters through sluice gates, bringing wild Bagda (Tiger shrimp) and Golda (Giant freshwater prawn) post-larvae. Dominates the aquaculture landscape of Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, and Patuakhali.
More Info →Crab Fattening
Mud crabs (Scylla serrata) collected from mangrove areas are kept in individual containers and fattened over 2–4 weeks to increase weight and gonad development. A high-value, short-cycle enterprise in Khulna, Satkhira and coastal Chattogram.
More Info →Sea Bass & Grouper Cage Culture
Pilot projects under DoF in Saint Martin's Island and coastal Cox's Bazar have trialled sea bass (Barramundi) and grouper cage culture. Cages are 5m×5m×3m, anchored in sheltered bays. Significant economic potential for mariculture development.
More Info →