10 shrimp hatcheries closed in Cox's Bazar

BANGLADESH - At least 10 hatcheries have been closed here due to acute crisis of shrimp fry.

The crisis has been created following indiscriminate fishing of mother shrimp in the Bay of Bengal. About 50 trawlings (ships to catch fish) have intruded into the territorial waters of Bangladesh from India, Myanmar and Thailand.

The trawlings are catching mother shrimps from the Bay of Bengal indiscriminately. But the concerned authorities are indifferent to check the menace. Besides, there is no official policy regarding catching of mother shrimp at Bay.

Khorshed Alam, a shrimp hatchery owner, said at present fry are produced in hatcheries by catching tender aged mother shrimp. As a result, most of the fry become weak and are prone to virus attack resulting in their early death.

The crisis prevails here for the last three years, Alam said. Not only this, but an acute crisis of various species of sea fishes is prevailing following indiscriminate fishing of mother shrimp and sea fishes.

Cox's Bazar Shrimp Hatchery Owners Association officials said 10 out of 58 hatcheries set up along the seacoast by spending crores of taka have been closed because of the phenomenon. The rest hatcheries are in a pitiable condition, he said. Many owners are thinking to close down their hatcheries apprehending loss.

Sources in the Shrimp Hatchery Association of Bangladesh said shrimp enclosures were set up on one and a half lakh hectares of land across the country. Fry are supplied to the enclosures from the hatcheries in Cox's Bazar.

The Daily Star