IPRS technology creates new hope for fish farmers in Rajshahi region

In-pond raceway system (IPRS), a highly sophisticated innovative aquaculture technology, has created a high hope among the fish farmers in the region, including its vast Barind tract.

The hope has been generated with the breakthrough of launching an IPRS fish farming venture at Noyagola Bolunpur, located in the outskirts of Chapainawabganj district town, around two years back.

Salient features of an IPRS are air-lift, bottom aeration, cells and waste collection arrangements that make this system unique ensuring optimal water chemistry that allows super high density stocking.

Akbar Hossain, the owner of “Nawab Matsya Khamar Prakalpa [Nawab Fish Farm Project]” is using IPRS in his ponds producing different carps, Tilapia and Pangas commercially.

He installed the system in 20 acres of his land creating scopes of producing around 32 tons of fish from every 250 cubic metres using the IPRS promising a dramatic rise in fish production.

In the modern system, about 10,000 fishes can be reared at a time in a bigha of water body against hardly 300 to 400 fishes in the same area in conventional method, Akbar, a national award winning fisheries entrepreneur, said.

He said this is an environmentally friendly aquaculture technology that can help to ensure quality and safe seafood for human consumption. Various types of fish species of different sizes can be cultivated at the same time in the same pond.

“We have stocked Rui, Catla, Common Carp, Grass Carp, Pangas, Tilapia, and Pabda species of fish,” said Akbar Hossain, adding depending on market demand fish will be stocked in future on the basis of trial specific species.

He is expected to harvest 2,000 tonnes of fishes valued at around Tk 10 crore from the 20-acre pond a year meaning that he will make a profit of Tk five crore. District Fisheries Officer Dr Amimul Ehsan, who is extending technical support to the venture since its very beginning, said all the conditions of Good Aquaculture Practices (GAP) are being followed in Akbar’s farm.

Talking to BSS, he said establishing raceways/channels in a big pond and maintaining continuous water flow in those raceways is the main principle of IPRS. Outer area of the raceways is also facilitated by continuous circular water flow. Simultaneously, a mechanized feeding system and removal of all waste materials are also ensured.

Sufficient dissolved oxygen supply, continuous water exchange in the raceway and regular removal of pollutants make the system similar to a natural water stream.