Commercial fish farming delights many in Natore

Many of the people in Natore are becoming self-reliant through fish farming commercially as the district is suitable place for the cultivation.

According to sources, the annual demand for fish in Natore is 40,491 tonnes. Last year, the district produced 74,905 tonnes of fish, resulting in a surplus of 34,414 tonnes.

The income from selling this fish amounts to approximately Tk 3,000 crore each year. The number of fish farmers is steadily increasing, and the area dedicated to fish farming is also expanding.

According to the Department of Fisheries, the number of fish farmers and traders in Natore District is increasing with the addition of 400 ponds each year and this expansion is also boosting the income of the sector.

According to information from the Natore District Fisheries Office, local fishermen and traders are earning by selling the surplus fish in various districts, including Dhaka.

District Fisheries Officer Dr Abul Kalam Azad said that there are 1,813 trained fishermen in the district. Additionally, there are 74 fisherfolk associations and nine sanctuaries in the district.

Besides, the district boasts a total of 28,280 ponds. In addition to these ponds, 25,850 fishermen and 18,079 fisherfolk are involved in harvesting, farming, and trading fish in open water bodies.

He also mentioned that through two government and seven private hatcheries, approximately 2,752 kilogrammes of fish are produced each year. From this production, about 56.2 million fish fingerlings are produced. A total of 305 businessmen are involved in the fish fingerling business.

In response to a question, he stated that the area of nine rivers in Natore covers 944 hectares, with 6.46 hectares of canals, 1,133 hectares of reservoirs, 16,613 hectares of floodplains, 22.5 hectares of rice fields suitable for fish farming, and 55,900 hectares of ponds and lakes.

Additionally, there are 150 fish farms in the district dedicated to the sale of fish.

Apart from buying and selling fish through these trades, many people also sell fish privately in various districts, including Dhaka.

In response to another question, he mentioned that the district earns approximately Tk 3,000 crore annually from selling the produced fish.

He noted that the number of fish farmers, traders, and ponds is increasing day by day. According to their calculations, an average of 400 new ponds is established in Natore every year.

Farid Mridha, a fish trader and hatchery owner from Ulipur Village in Sadar Upazila, said that in his hatchery, fish are produced from mother fish -- cultivated in his pond, and fish fingerlings are also produced.

In addition to selling the young fish, he grows them in his own pond before selling them, which provides him with a good profit throughout the year.

In response to a question, he said that the number of fish farmers and traders is increasing day by day while new fish farmers and traders are increasing every year as the profits are better than other professions.

Sohel, a fish farmer and businessman from Vatodanda Village in SadarUpazila, mentioned that he began fish farming by leasing a small pond. Now, he farms fish in four to five ponds due to the good profits.

He mentioned that the amount of profit has increased more than before.