Caged fishery in open water

Women making a case for open water fishery in Hasilkandi village in Saghata upazila in Gaibandha district. PHOTO: STAR

"I do not ask any body for fish when relatives visit my house. It is always available with me", said Altafunessa with a smile on her face.

"I have 10 such floating cages for rearing fish. I can also sell fish in market after meeting my family needs", she said.

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Akbar Ali of the same village said many go to him for fish even at night. "I catch live fish from cages and give them. It is always ready with me".

The NGO has trained 1218 poor people in Gaibandha in caged fish farming in open water bodies and rivers. Almost half of the trained people are women and most of them are victims of erosion by Brahmaputra river.

More people are joining the teams of open water fish farmers, said Utpal Kuamr Dutta, Senior Fisheries Technologist of Practical Action.

Gaibandha is a disaster prone district where river erosion and flood are common. Every year, a large number of people are displaced by river erosion that cause permanent loss of cultivable land and shelter as well.

Practical Action (Bangladesh) initiated livelihood programmes for erosion victims. It trains the erosion-affected people and gives financial assistance.

It started with two semi-closed water bodies, one stretching 20 acres in Bharardaha and Kanchipara in Fulchari upazila and the other in Sreepur in Sunderganj upazila covering about 30 acres. Erosion victims are involved in community based fishery in the two water bodies and a roadside canal.

Practical Action Manager Gaibandha Ataur Rahman explained to this correspondent how the programme was implemented. The poor displaced people formed an association, contributing Tk 200 each. They cleared the water bodies and released several lakh fish fries in cages. That was all they had to do. The fries grew into big fishes.

The NGO trained the association members in 17 batches. About half of the trainees were women.

Seeing their success, poor erosion victims in Dhumaitari, Gaibandha Sadar and Shaghata upazilas also formed associations and started fish culture in the same method. A cage made with bamboo and net costs only around Tk 110 and it lasts about four years.

The beneficiaries are also cautious not to destroy fries in open water using current nets, Ataur Rahman said.