Fish farming: Shafiqul leads the way

Shafiqul Islam, a fish farmer in Bibirpukur Lohajal village under Kahalu upazila, Bogura, has turned the wheel of his fortune by producing a record amount of local fish fries and fingerlings, contributing to the overall fish production in the country.

The fish breeder has been awarded a gold medal as the best fish fry producer in the country on August 29, 2021 by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.

Not only that, he was similarly awarded 21 years back in 2002 by the ministry.

However, the journey to success has not been smooth for him. Like his ancestors, Shafiqul’s father, Basir Mandal wanted his son to become a rice trader, but neither his father’s desire nor his initial failure to become an entrepreneur could stand in his way.

Starting from only a pond in 1990 and a capital of Tk 3 lakh, he now owns 12 ponds stretching over an acre of land in the upazila and earns more than Tk 50 lakhs a year.

“When I started to produce fish and fish fries, I failed miserably. I kept trying and failing six times in a row before I had been able to secure a profit with my business,” Shafiqul told The Business Post, explaining his journey.

“However, I took training from local fisheries office in 1997 and from then I never had to look back. Now over a hundred people found employment in my farm,” said Shafiqul.

The owner of Shah Sultan Shah Jalal Fish Hatchery, Shafiqul, has 102 fish enclosures and 30 feeding bottles for producing fish fries having a collection of 35 tonnes of brood for fish breeding purposes.

“We produce 10,000 kilogrammes of local fish fries and 15,000 kilogrammes of carp variety annually,” he added.

Belal Hossain, a UP chairman and local fish farmer, told The Business Post after being inspired by Shafiqul, many residents in the locality opted for fish farming and found employment.

There are 16 hatcheries in the locality, all of which produce local varieties of fish and saving them from being extinct.

As regards ensuring fish quality, Shafiqul told The Business Post he provides natural organic feed to his fish so they do not affect health.

The farmer urged the government to keep the fish feed business under surveillance considering health issues.

“If the government gives priority to preserve natural reservoirs and ponds across the country, people will be able to produce much more fish and can add to the country’s export earnings,” opined Shafiqul.

Mahmuda Khatun, senior fisheries officer in the upazila, asserted that Shafiqul’s success is hard-earned, and he always maintains the quality of his fish.

Masudur Rahman, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), told The Business Post they are proud of Shafiqul and his farm.

“He not only made us proud but also created jobs for people in the upazila,” he said.

According to Anwarul Kabir, district fisheries officer, two public and 115 privately owned fish hatcheries produced 35,000 fish fries last year, and Shafiqul’s farm contributed tops to the overall production.

He mentioned that Bogura had produced more than 84 tonnes of fish -- way higher than the overall demand for the district.