New technology to raise fish production

Dr Md Rafiqul Islam Sarder explaining the cryopreservation technology to fish farmers during the recent two-day workshop held at the BAU. PHOTO: STAR

In the new technology called cryopreservation, sperm collected from fish can be scientifically preserved for long at minus 196ºC temperature and injected into mother fishes keeping its biological qualities intact. This will increase yield.

The project is supervised by Dr Md Rafiqul Islam Sarder, Associate Professor and Head of Fisheries Biology and Genetics Department of BAU.

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After successful laboratory experiment, BAU is now transferring the technology to fish farmers.

This technology is being used in the country for the first time, Dr Islam told this correspondent.

He said fish fries now supplied from government and private hatcheries lose their genetic quality because of unscientific collection, injection into mother fishes and breeding. This reduces production, he said.

Long-term scientific storage of fish sperm will open up a new horizon in fish cultivation.

A Gene Bank of endangered species will be established, which will save the endangered species and help increase their production, he said.

Experiment is now going on to evolve new varieties through cross-breeding of indigenous varieties, he said.

Dr. Islam said there were 266 species of freshwater fishes in our country. Of those, 56 are on the verge of extinction now.

To transfer the technology, a two-day training programme on "Fish Sperm Cryopreservation and Cryogenic Gene Banking for Genetic Diversity Improvement" concluded at the BAU recently.

Fifteen fish farmers took part in the training.