Tilapia and Pangus Matket Study
-
Upload
shihabur-rahman -
Category
Documents
-
view
353 -
download
0
description
Transcript of Tilapia and Pangus Matket Study
1
MARKET STUDY ON SOME FRESHWATER FARMED FISH:
TILAPIA AND PANGAS (Mekong River Catfish)
(Final report)
Prepared by
Javed Anwar
March 2011
2
Contents
Sl.
No.
Chapter/Topic Page
i List of Tables 4
ii List of Figure/Photographs 6
1. Important disclaimer 8
2 Executive Summery 10
3. Preface 18
4. Objectives of the Study 22
5. Approaches adopted for the study 24
6. Methodology 26
7. Findings of the study 26
7.0 Tilapia and Pangas Aquaculture in Bangladesh 28
7.1 Tilapia and pangas as Farmed species 28
7.1.1 Pangas 29
7.1.1.1 Source 27
7.1.1.2 Type 34
7.2.1 Tilapia 34
7.2.1.1 Source 41
7.2.1.2 Types 41
7.3 Hatcheries 42
7.3.1 Seed Production of Pangas 45
7.3.2 Seed production of mono-sex tilapia 50
7.4 Nurseries 60
7.4.1 Conventional Nurseries 60
7.4.2. Over-wintered Nurseries 65
7.5 Pangas and Tilapia Seed Market Place 67
7.5.1 Pangas 70
7.5.2 Tilapia 71
7.6 Grow-out farming 71
7.6.1 Monoculture of Pangas 73
7.6.2 Monoculture of Tilapia 80
7.6. Poly/Mixed culture of Pangas and Tilapia 81
7.7 Feed Sources 84
.
7.7.1 Supplemental feeds for Pangas 84
3
7.7.2 Supplemental feeds for Tilapia 87
7.8 Disease 91
7.8.1 Affected Species 91
7.8.2 Cause 92
7.8.3 Identification 92
7.8.4 Prevention /Solution 92
7.9 Risk factors Associated with pangas and Tilapia farming 92
7.10 Farming Approaches Adopted 93
7.11 Production 94
7.12 Post Harvest treatment 95
7.12.1 Pangas 96
7.12.2 Tilapia 97
7.13 Supply Chain 97
7.13.1 Pangas 97
7.13.2 Tilapia 99
7.14 Marketing 100
7.14.1. Consumer Perceptions for Pangas and Tilapia 102
7.14.2. The Pace of Pangas and Tilapia Farming in Bangladesh 105
7.15 Value addition 107
7.16 Employment in Pangas & Tilapia Business, supply & value
chain
108
7.17 Profitability in pangas & Tilapia Farming & Future
Development
109
7.18 Future development 110
7.19 Post Harvest and marketing of Pangas and Tilapia 110
7.20 Export potential of Pangas and Tilapia 111
7.21 Future of Pangas and tilapia Marketing in Bangladesh 112
7.22 Economic Performance of Pangas and Tilapia Farming in BD 114
7.22.1 Specific issues which are explored in the market study 118
7.23 Expected long term benefit of pangas and tilapia farming in
Bangladesh
119
8. Future Observation Initiatives on Pangas and Tilapia farming for its
Sustainability (De-facto recommendation)
121
8.1 Maintenance of Seed Quality 121
8.2 Preservation of quality Grade Broods 121
8.3 Popularization of Over-wintered Seeds of two Species 122
4
8.4 Quality Grade Feeds 123
8.5 Selection of Thrust Areas for pangas and Tilapia Farming 123
8.6 Cage farming of Tilapia and Pangas 124
8.7 Post Harvest Handling of Live Fish marketing 128
8.8 Market Promotion 132
8.9 Awareness among farmers to stop malpractice 132
8.10 Processing and Export 133
8.11 Organized Farming of Pangas and Tilapia 134
8.12 Extension of Pangas and Tilapia Farming Information and
Knowledge dissemination
134
8.13 Women participation in Pangas and Tilapia Farming 135
8.14 Pangas and Tilapia Farming Funding services 136
8.15 Evening Banking for Pangas and Tilapia Farmers in Intensive
Farming areas
137
9
Appendix
138-
236
9.1 Appendix-1. Name and address of Pangas Hatcheries
produced seeds in 2009-2010
9.2 Appendix-2. Tilapia Hatchery in Bangladesh Operational in
(2009- 2010)
9.3 Appendix-3. List of Feed Mills in the country Operated and
marketed Feeds in 2009-2010
9.4 Appendix-4. Questionnaire used in the Study
9.4 Appendix-5. TOR: Consultant for Market Study on Thai Catfish, pangas and Tilapia
5
LIST OF TABLES
SL # Tables Pages Table 1 Year-wise fish production and per-capita consumption in Bangladesh 26
Table 2 Year-wise production of pangas and tilapia in Bangladesh 27
Table 3 Fresh water Farmed Fish Species in Bangladesh 28
Table 4 Division-wise fish spawn/seed production including Pangas and Tilapia in
Bangladesh during 2009-2010
43
Table 5. District-wise fish Pangas spawn production by pangas hatcheries in Bangladesh
during 2009-2010 against total number of fish hatcheries
(Dhaka Division)
46
Table 6. District-wise Fish hatcheries different districts in the Country(Sylhet Division) 46
Table 7. District-wise Fish hatcheries different districts in the Country (Barisal Division
wise)
47
Table 8. District-wise Fish hatcheries different districts in the Country (Rajshahi
Division)
48
Table 9. Fish hatcheries different districts in the Country
(Rangpur Division)
48
Table10 District-wise Fish hatcheries different districts in the Country (Chittagong
division)
50
Table11 District-wise Fish hatcheries different districts in the Country(Khulna division) 52
Table12 Distribution of commercial Mono-sex Tilapia hatcheries
and seed production in different districts of Bangladesh
(Chittagong division)
55
Table13 Distribution of commercial Mono-sex Tilapia hatcheries
and seed production in different districts in different districts of
Bangladesh(Barisal division)
55
Table14 Distribution of commercial Mono-sex Tilapia hatcheries and seed
production in different districts of Bangladesh (Rajshahi division)
56
Table15 Distribution of commercial Mono-sex Tilapia hatcheries and seed
production in different districts of Bangladesh (Rangpur division)
57
Table16 Distribution of commercial Mono-sex Tilapia hatcheries
and seed production in different districts of Bangladesh (Dhaka
division)
57
Table17 Distribution of commercial Mono-sex Tilapia hatcheries
and seed production in different districts of Bangladesh (Khulna
division)
57
Table18 Distribution of commercial Mono-sex Tilapia hatcheries and seed production
in different districts of Bangladesh (Sylhet division)
58
Table 19 Tilapia & Pangas Producer -Trader’s response to quality seeds 59
Table 20 Major Pangas Farming Regions in the Country based on Farming Intensity 73
Table 21 Tilapia Farming Regions in the Country based on Farming Intensity 73 Table 22 Total estimated production of Pangas and tilapia in 2009-2010 and projection
for 2015-2016*
75
Table 23 District-wise pond based pangas and tilapia production in Dhaka Division 76
Table 24 District-wise pond based pangas and tilapia production in Rajshahi Division 76
Table 25 District-wise pond based pangas and tilapia production in Chittagong Division 77
Table 26 District-wise pond based pangas and tilapia production in Rangpur Division 77
6
Table 27 District-wise pond based pangas and tilapia production in Khulna Division 78
Table 28 District-wise pond based pangas and tilapia production in Sylhet Division 78
Table 29 Projected production of Pangas and Tilapia based on consumption of feed 79
Table 30 Farmer’s Response on Farming of Pangas and Tilapia 84
Table 31 Factory based Aquaculture Feed/s Production & Sale sales in 2010 85
Table 32 Shrimp and Fish Feed Production & Sale sales in 2010 86
Table 33 Division-wise Feed Mills and Turn-over (Dhaka Division) 88
Table 34 Division-wise Feed Mills and Turn-over (Chittagong Division) 89
Table 35 Division-wise Feed Mills and Turn-over (Rajshahi Division) 90
Table 36 Division-wise Feed Mills and Turn-over (Khulna Division) 100
Table 37 Pangas and Tilapia Landings in whole Sale Markets in Dhaka 102
Table 38 Average whole sale a retail prices of Pangas and Tilapia in major markets in
Bangladesh
103
Table 39 Consumer’s Perception on Tilapia and Pangas as Table fish (figure in
Parenthesis indicates fish introduced in the country)
103
Table 40 Percent (%)of Pangas and tilapia in wholesale and retail markets in
Dhaka
103
Table 41 General Consumer’s preferences for Tilapia and Pangas 104 Table 42 Income based Consumer’s preferences for Tilapia and Pangas (Rural area) 104
Table 43 Income based Consumer’s preferences for Tilapia and Pangas (Urban area) 105
Table 44 Consumer’s Knowledge about Tilapia and Pangas in urban and rural area 105
Table 45 Consumer’s Knowledge about fast growing farmed Tilapia 106
Table 46 Organoleptic test on freshness of pangas and tilapia in whole sale and retail
markets
106
Table 47 Local Consumer’s Knowledge about pangas and Tilapia based valued added
products (VAP)
107
Table 48 Farmers Response to Exporting Panags and Tilapia from Bangladesh 111
7
LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS
SL # List of Plates /Photographs Pages Fig. 1. Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Pangasius sutchi),
introduced striped catfish (accepted name by Fish Base- 2004)
30
Fig. 2. Local catfish, Pangasius pangasius pangas (source:Fishbase-2004) 30 Fig. 3. Pangasius bocourti (source: Fishbase-2004) 31 Fig. 4. Pangasius conchophilus (source: Fishbase-2004) 32 Fig. 5. Pangasius djambal (source: Fishbase-2004) 32 Fig. 6. Pangasius kunyit (source: Fishbase-2004) 32 Fig. 7. Pangasius kunyit (source: Fishbase-2004) 33
Fig. 8. Pangasius larnaudii (source: Fishbase-2004) 33 Fig. 9. Pangasius sanitwongsei (source: Fishbase-2004) 33 Fig. 10. Farmed red tilapia in Bangladesh (source: Aquaculture team, PRICE) 35 Fig. 11. Farmed Nile tilapia in Bangladesh (source: Aquaculture team, PRICE) 36 Fig. 12. Farmed GIFT (Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia) in Bangladesh 36 Fig. 13. Wild tilapia usually found in shrimp ghers (enclosure) in Bangladesh 37 Fig.14. Mono-sex tilapia (source: Aquaculture team, PRICE) 37 Fig.15. Oreochromis andersonii (source: Fishbase-2004 38 Fig. 16. Oreochromis macrochir (source: Fishbase-2004) 38 Fig. 17. Oreochromis mossambicus (source: Fishbase-2004) 39 Fig. 18 .Oreochromis placidus placidus (source: Fishbase-2004) 39
Fig. 19. Oreochromis spilurus niger (source: Fishbase-2004) 40
Fig. 20. Oreochromis niloticus niloticus (source: Fishbase-2004) 40 Fig. 21. Oreochromis aureus (source: Fishbase-2004) 40 Fig. 22. The structure of a conventional fish hatchery in Bangladesh 42 Fig. 23. A low cost fin fish hatchery suitable to produce both Pangas and carp seeds 44 Fig. 24. A brood bank of tilapia adjacent to a mono-sex tilapia hatchery 51 Fig. 25. A brood tilapia contains fertilized eggs in its mouth and a hatchery staff is
about to collect the eggs from mouth of fish. 52
Fig. 26 Hatchery staffs segregate fertilized eggs depending on colors. 53 Fig. 27. Selected fertilized eggs are incubated in jars with continuous running
water in hatchery.
54
Fig. 28. Quality of collected eggs; whitish colored eggs indicates dead larvae inside 54
Fig. 29. Hatched out tiny tilapia babies yet to completely absorb egg yolk sac 56 Fig. 30A. A conventional pangas nursery (similar nurseries are also used for carps 61 Fig. 30B Series of Nursing Ponds ….. other species 61
Fig. 31. A specialized mono-sex tilapia nursery (initially water should be transparent) 62
Fig. 32. Nursed panags fries in conventional nurseries 63
Fig. 33. Nursed panags fingerlings in nurseries ready for sale 63
Fig. 34. A nursed pangas fingerling measured by a nursery operator 63 Fig. 35. The converted mono-sex tilapia babies ready to be nursed to fry/fingerling
stages for marketing
64
Fig. 36. Nursed mono-sex fry ready for sell to farmer’s level 65
Fig. 37. Over-wintered nursed pangas fingerlings/juveniles for early crop 66
Fig. 38. Over-wintered nursed GIFT fingerlings/juveniles for early crop 66
8
Fig. 39. Over-wintered nursed GIFT fingerlings/juveniles for early crop 67
Fig. 40. A makeshift Fish seed Market place in Mymensingh where mostly pangas
and mono-sex tilapia are traded
68
Fig. 41 A fish seed trading local vehicle is used in Bogra region to carry seeds of
mainly pangas to a makeshift market place
69
Fig. 42. A permanent Fish seed Market place in Jessore where mostly all types of
fish seeds including pangas and mono-sex tilapia are traded
69
Fig. 43 A high density panags farm in Bogra region (in a pond of beneficiary
member of a PRICE partner)
72
Fig. 44 A high density Tilapia farm in Norshindi region 72
Fig. 45 A high density harvestable panags crop in pond 74
Fig. 46 A high density harvestable panags mixed with tilapia in pond 74
Fig. 47 Sampling in a high density GIFT tilapia farming (in a pond of beneficiary
member of a PRICE partner in Jamalpur)
80
Fig. 48 A high density tilapia and carp farming (a pond of a beneficiary of a
PRICE partner at Bhaluka, Mymensingh)
82
Fig. 49 High density pangas and tilapia farming together (same as above) 82 Fig. 50 Many factories manufactured dry pellet feeds for pangas and tilapia 84 Fig. 51 Aquaculture feeds awaits shipment to agents and dealers for marketing 85
Fig. 52 Home made feed use to a high density pangas and tilapia farming 87
Fig.53A Tilapia sampling in high density pond in Bogra (in a pond of beneficiary
member of a PRICE partner)
95
Fig.53B Transportation of live pangas with water in plastic containers 96
Fig. 54 Transportation of tilapia with ice in insulated container 97
Fig. 55 Pangas are geared to a corner of farming pond using seine net (in a pond of
beneficiary member of a PRICE partner in Trisal, Mymensingh )
98
Fig. 56 Pangas are taken from farming pond using bamboo baskets (in a pond of
beneficiary member of a PRICE partner)
99
Fig. 57 A whole sale market of Pangas 101
Fig. 58 A whole sale market of Pangas 101
Fig. 59 Floating cage farming involving mono-sex tilapia (Picture: Source
Aquaculture unit, PRICE)
125
Fig. 60 High density rising of tilapia in cages 126
Fig. 61 Large sized tilapia may be produced in cages (a beneficiary member of a
PRICE partner)
126
Fig. 62 Live pangas in whole sale market 129
Fig.63 Live pangas in retail market
129
Fig. 64 Fig. Iced tilapia in whole sale market 131
Fig. 65 Iced-chilled tilapia in retail market
131
Fig. 66 Women engaged in tilapia farming in Jessore area (a beneficiary member
of a PRICE partner)
135
9
MARKET STUDY ON SOME FRESHWATER FARMED FISH:
TILAPIA AND PANGAS (Mekong River catfish)
1. Important Disclaimer
This study was carried out in 2010 (report writing and part of analysis was carried-out
thereafter and it extended up to January when draft report was submitted to PRICE
aquaculture unit. There was some comments form Team Leader Aquaculture to
reorganize the text and incorporating some new elements that lead the extension of the
completion of report to mid March, 2011) to fulfil the objectives of work
package offered by PRICE (a USAID project) - A market analysis of the two farmed fish,
tilapia and pangus (two imported commercial farmed fish in the country of exotic origin)
-which looked specifically at the recognition and acceptance of first growing
commercially farmed fish in Bangladesh as cost-effective and popular food fish for
masses.
This market analysis was conducted for the purposes of the PRICE project by Zaved
Anwar in direct consultation with the PRICE project officials in the fish sector
(aquaculture, one of the three sectors in PRICE) headed by team leader aquaculture and
other long term consultants stationed in Dhaka, Bogra and Jessore.
The market research, analyses and conclusions have been carried out based almost
exclusively on information and opinions received from interviews from different
stakeholders in fish supply chain, actors in production, forward and backward linkages of
production and all market actors, key informants, government and non-government
organizations, research institutes, and from published documentation. Besides, frequent
obviations of the act of brood farming, seed production, nursing, so called over-winter
nursing, mono-farming, mixed farming, poly-farming, seasonal farming, harvesting,
sorting, storing, icing, packaging, whole selling and retailing involved with these two
farmed species was observed and documented.
Therefore, although the author have tried to ensure the completeness and accuracy of
information used, all readers and users of this study should recognise and accept, by so
doing, that neither PRICE, nor any members of its staff or the short term hired consultant
(the author) accept any responsibility whatsoever for any loss of pangas or tilapia farming
10
business or damage of reputation of farmers, supply chain and/or value chain actors
associated with pangas or tilapia business incurred, directly or indirectly, by any party,
however the loss or damage is caused including as a result of negligence in
photographing, writing, reporting, as a result of decisions/assumptions/
recommendations/suggestions taken or actions made by any party on the basis of any
information, conclusions or recommendations contained in this study and the study
report.
In this Conclusions, Recommendations and Opportunities sections (see the preface), the
results of the different geographical locations specially in administrative districts found in
the body of the report, as well as the results of the report found in hatcheries, nurseries,
feed mills, seed market places, farming sites, seed trading market place, grow-outs,
farming sites, whole sale marketing, retail marketing, processing factories, have
been darn together. The reader should refer to these different analyses/reporting for any
specific questions arising from these summary documents.
11
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A fish market study was carried out in Bangladesh during August to December 2010,
specially focusing on two commercially farmed species, namely pangas (Mekong river
catfish) and tilapia (mainly Genetically Improved farmed Tilapia (GIFT) and mono-sex
tilapia). The study was done due to the fact that no market study has been carried out on
Bangladesh farmed fish, its current status and future potentials as a provider of low cost
protein to masses and high prospect of organized farming and sustainability in long run.
It is also important to know the up-to-date analysis of the current market situation in the
country and the rapid changes occurring in the market as a result of increased population,
food habit diversification and rapid urbanization that creates slum dwellers of low income
groups in cities and towns. Cities and towns must be fed and ever increasing pressure is
creating on rural areas to supply more and more foods. Since, relatively high income
group and middle class in the cities and towns are capable to buy different types of
animal protein for the family needs poor families rely on low cost fish as their main
source of animal protein and lipid supplies.
The study was requested by the USAID supported PRICE (Poverty reduction by
Increasing competitiveness of Enterprises) Project. PRICE has three component of which
aquaculture is most important in terms of revenue earning, important food supplies, food
security to fight malnutrition and foreign currency earnings.
The main objectives of the study were to determine the current status and trends in the
supply and demand of the two important farmed fish species and their forward and
backward linkages associated with production and marketing in Bangladesh; assess the
basic input supplies for the farming. Besides, the impact of farming of two species as
source of nutrients for masses, especially cheap exotic fish, Mekong river catfish
popularly known as pangas and high yielding tilapia, its supply chain, production cycles,
input manufacturing and supplies, prospect of export and value added product
development, project future trends and; assess the implications of the findings to the
aquaculture and fisheries sector in the country.
12
The study followed various methods to accumulate information. Data and information
were collected from secondary sources, interviewing the key respondents using prepared
questionnaire, extensive visits to major seed production, nursing and farming areas of the
species under study. Surveys and interviews with all actors of supply chain, input
producers and manufacturers, forward and backward linkages, retailers, wholesalers
government agencies, non-government agencies involves in aquaculture, organized
farming’s and consumers. Over 300 stakeholders and key-respondents were interviewed
in Mymensingh, Netrokona, Sherpur, Jamalpur, Tangail, Pabna, Bogra, Rajshahi,
Chittagong, Jessore, Comilla and Noakhali were interviewed and many hatchery, nursery,
farms, whole sale markets, retail markets, processing plants were visited and observed..
The study also focused on low to middle income consumers.
The gist of results/findings is as follows:
1. In 2001, estimated per capita fish consumption in Bangladesh was 13.7 kg/person.
In 2009, it was reported that per capita consumptions increased to 17.3 kg,
representing an increase of 31.4%. The increased biomass from fish actually
diluted in per-capita consumption due to population boom.
2. Through this study it is estimated that by 2010, per capita fish consumption in the
country is around 18 kg/person as total aquaculture production of pangas and
tilapia is under represented.
3. It is yet not clear wheatear increases in fish consumptions in the country are in
urban, semi-urban areas and rural growth points, where refrigeration facilities are
available.
4. The main reason for the increase in fish biomass production is due to expansion of
aquaculture where pangas and tilapia has played so far is small but significant
role, however sign are there that expanded role of these two species are occurring
in coming years.
5. Pangas and mono-sex tilapia has emerged as fastest growing farmed aquaculture
species in Bangladesh from nowhere when compared to aquaculture of 3 decades
back in the country.
6. The popular farmed catfish, pangas in Bangladesh is usually termed as Thai
pangas and often called as/identified as Sutchi pangas (Pangasius sutchi).
However, scientifically its should be called as Pangasianodon hypophthalmus.
7. High density fish farming (semi-intensive and intensive) in Bangladesh initiated
with farming of pangas and mono-sex tilapia using dry pellet feeds and these two
species are prime consumers of milled pellet feed in the country.
13
8. It was found that in 2009-2010 roughly 710 fin fish hatcheries (other than mono-
sex tilapia hatchery) were operational and out of those only 231 hatcheries were
involved pangas seed production.
9. In Bangladesh total number of mono-sex tilapia hatcheries is around 220 of which
2009-2010 roughly 191 hatcheries were operational and produced fry and
fingerling of mono-sex tilapia commercially.
10. In 2009-2010, a total of 64,856 kg of pangas spawn was produced throughout the
country by 231 operational hatcheries. Production rate ranged from several
thousands kg to as low as 5 kg in a hatchery.
11. In 2009-2010, a total of 191 operational mono-sex tilapia hatcheries in the
country combined produced 1430.4 million fry/fingerlings
12. Out of 64 districts in the country, a total of 31 districts have Monosex tilapia
hatcheries in the country.
13. In 64 districts in the country there is at least one fin fish hatchery was operational
in 2009-2010. However, out of 64 districts only 20 districts had operational
pangas hatcheries.
14. Total number of non-specialized operational fish hatcheries in the country in 2010
was 710; out of those Rajshahi division had highest numbers (241), followed by
Chittagong (170) and Dhaka (166).
15. District-wise Mymensingh was found to produce highest amount of pangas spawn
in 2009-2010, where 53 hatcheries out of 98 operational non-specialized fish
hatcheries produced 29,725 kg of spawn, followed by Bogra (49 out of 89
hatcheries) with 24130 kg. Distant third ranked district is Comilla where 52 out of
84 operational hatcheries combined produced 5,667 kg of pangas spawn in 2010.
16. Out of 710 non-specialized operational fish hatcheries in the country, 232
hatcheries were involved in Pangas spawn production together with other fin fish
seeds during 2009-2010
17. Fish seed production is usually quantified as volume (kg) of spawn produced in
hatcheries. Total fish spawn production in Bangladesh other than mono-sex tilapia
in 2010 was 479,062 kg of which roughly 13.5% (64,287) was Pangas spawn.
18. Geographically, Mymensingh district has highest number of mono-sex tilapia
hatchery (39) and these hatcheries combined produced 268 million fries followed
by Chittagong where 32 hatcheries produced 172 million.
19. Supplemental feeding based high density farming/ large commercial scale culture
in the country has initiated with farming of pangas and mono-sex tilapia.
20. Introduction of panags and tilapia in Bangladesh as farming stock in closed fresh
water has transformed consumer type aquaculture to commercial farming
14
activities and has transformed seasonal aquaculture to perennial economic
activities.
21. Combined pangas and tilapia production in the country during 2009-2010 is
estimates as 315,485 ton (pangas 253,310 and tilapia 62,175 ton) against
estimated production of fish in the country in the same period is about 28, 50,000
ton, of which roughly 50% comes through farming.
22. Projected production of pangas and tilapia in the country during 2015-2016 is
estimated to be around 379,965 and 93,263 ton, respectively.
23. It is estimated that out of 253,310 ton of panags produced in the country in 2009-
2010 roughly 199,000 ton was raised utilizing milled dry pellets of both sinking
and floating types.
24. Similarly, out of 62,175 ton tilapia produced in 2009-2010, roughly 53,000 ton
was produced utilizing milled dry pellets of both sinking and floating types.
25. It is estimated that roughly 63% milled pellet feed is consumed by panags farming
in the country and that of 30% feed is consumed by tilapia.
26. Total milled aquaculture pellet feed production in the country during 2009-2010
was 568,370 ton of which roughly 62,000 ton is floating type.
27. Roughly 33,600 ha of closed water bodies, mostly ponds are used for mono
and/or mixed farming of pangas and/or tilapia with supplemental feeding in
mostly greater Mymensingh and greater Bogra districts, Bagerhat, Norshindi and
Naogan and Brahmanbaria districts.
28. There is an indication that landing of farmed fish in general and pangas and tilapia
in particular are under represented in government statistics. One reason may be
rapid vertical production of these species going unnoticed or under reported.
29. Large scale production of both pangas and tilapia has created opportunities to
supply of raw materials in bulk to processing plants for fillet exports, but strong
domestic demand and relatively high price of raw materials prevents fillet
preparation for export to general markets in European countries.
30. The filleting of pangas and tilapia reportedly produces 50% carcasses as waste
that increases fillet prices compared to domestic market price where whole fish is
utilized by consumes.
31. Utilization of fillet manufacturing by-product of pangas and tilapia for feed
manufacturing may reduce raw material prices for fillet and may open doors for
pangas and tilapia fillet export
32. The demand for pangas and tilapia is increasing; most people consider both tilapia
and pangas as cost-effective fish though vast majority said they are not buying
15
pangas and tilapia very frequently. All respondent said that they assume in future
share of pangas and tilapia will increase in Bangladesh diet.
33. 75% of hatchery related people, 65% of nursery operators and 60% of fish traders
and 67% farmer’s respondents participating in the random survey indicated
inbreeding is main problem in farmed fish and said that farmers are also now
serious about the problem. Most of the four categories surveyed said that quality
of pangas and tilapia seeds are deteriorating
34. In a random survey on consumers at fish market, 49% of rural poor and 65% of
urban poor respondent spoke positively about pangas and all said that the prefer
the fish due to its low price and more meats compared to other species. However,
it doesn’t reflect the buying percentage of consumers. This simply indicates their
revelation/impression about two species of fish as food fish.
35. 80% of all categories of consumers in both rural and urban areas knew that the
species is exotic and 91% said that they know the pangas they buy indeed comes
from farming. In case of tilapia 45 identified it as exotic and 84% believed that
they are eating farmed tilapia.
36. 38-48% does not know whether it is mono-sex or GIFT variety, and half and
almost one quarter of interviewed consumer identified the tilapia they purchase is
normal or natural. Only 12% new that GIFT is genetically manipulated and 24%
know that it is artificially sex changed.
37. 85% of buyers in retail market interviewed never heard about fish fillet and as
per user’s friendly stuffs 95% responded some what ready to cook stuffs like de-
scaled, de-gutted and cut into pieces.
38. 90% retail buyers never heard value added stuffs like “fish and chips” that could
be made using pangas and tilapia as raw materials.
39. 91% of pangas farmers agreed to a point that pangas farming is easiest and all
new fish farmers should start aquaculture with pangas to learn tricks on fish
farming. Almost all farmers interviewed agreed that only pangas gowns well in
newly constructed ponds and may totally dependent on supplemental feeds.
40. Whole seller’s response in Dhaka market on percentage of pangas in trade is
roughly 8% whereas in several retails markets, retailer’s response was 4-5% of
fish sold in market is pangas. Similarly, whole sellers reported 9% tilapia and
retailers said its share is around 5-6%.
41. The main reasons for good sell of pangas and tilapia were price – these are
considered a cheap fish, and especially for pangas it may come to market in live
condition, expressed by whole seller and retailers.
16
42. Pangas and tilapia are two farmed species always maintain roughly uniform price
level in different retail markets in city/town as sourcing of these fishes are from
farms.
43. Supply is considered good for both pangas and tilapia, but climatic condition and
supply of natural fish occasionally causes erratic supplies when farmers are forced
to stop harvest due to price slide.
44. Farmers in main pangas and mono-sex tilapia growing areas in Mymensingh and
Bogra reported market glut occasionally and price slides, however, it appeared
that sudden market glut is caused by uncoordinated harvest and marketing by bulk
producers.
45. Live pangas and fresh-iced tilapia has only penetrated in Bangladesh markets
since a decade earlier, and since retail outlets in Bangladesh have no refrigeration
facilities, these two species ensures relatively better freshness among fish sold in
the country.
46. The main source of supply of pangas and tilapia in the country is greater
Mymensingh, greater Bogra, Norshindi and Naogan region. Small amounts of
pangas also enter markets from Bagerhat, Brahmanbaria and Pabna regions.
47. Transport of live pangas is usually done with fresh water in synthetic drums fitted
in trucks without any supplementary aeration.
48. Tilapia is iced and transported in locally made insulated wooden or bamboo
boxes. The trade of Tilapia is also inter-districts and transport of live tilapia is not
possible but iced tilapia is traded in whole sale and retails in fresh condition.
49. Tilapia is a popular, but relatively expensive compared to pangas. However,
supplies of pangas are erratic compared to tilapia as pangas usually harvested one
crop per year whereas tilapia may be harvested couples of crops with same period.
50. As mentioned earlier, live/fresh fish is targeted at relatively low income
consumers, which represent a small proportion of the total market for fish in the
country. An estimated 315,000 ton of pangas is produced in the country in 2009-
2010.
51. An estimated 62,000 ton of tilapia mostly those of mono-sex and GIFT
(Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia) type is produced in the country in 2009-
2010.
52. Roughly more than 80% of mill produced pellet feed (both sinking and floating)
is used for pangas and mono-sex tilapia farming.
53. Introduction of floating feeds in high density pangas and mono-sex tilapia
farming made farming management easier by reducing soil and water pollution
17
and also reportedly reduced the occurrence of disease outbreaks and fish health
risks.
54. Total feed sale in 2010 in the country in 2010 was 568,370 ton of which roughly
11% (62,000 ton) was floating feed and the rest are sinking pellet. Less than 5%
of pellet feed was for shrimp/prawn.
55. The market for both tilapia and pangas are usually affected by seasonal landings
of natural fish; after monsoon and beginning of dry season when vast flood plains
in the country begins to dry up and congregate wild fishes to shallow waters and
facilitate easy harvesting.
56. Pangas in general and tilapia occasionally substitute for the high priced fish like
hilsa and carps and high priced other source of animal protein like beef, mutton,
chicken and eggs.
57. Relatively larger quantity (biomass) of pangas and occasionally tilapia can be
bought at the same price of beef, mutton, chicken and eggs to feed at household
level. Chicken cannot be considered a substitute of beef, mutton and eggs because
it is becoming unaffordable for most low income consumers.
58. Among the pangas and different varieties of tilapia (mono-sex, GIFT, red, Nile,
nilotica and Mozambican) neither species not affected the market for others
because, to a certain extent, the two products complete in slightly different
markets based on different consumer groups.
59. The average difference between wholesale and retail prices of pangas (600g –
1kg) and tilapia (standard sizes 3-6 making 1 kg) consumed in rural and urban
market, is 15-20% based on proximity from production sites and wholesale/retail
markets.
60. In general, supplier to whole sellers pay for transport and whole sellers takes a
service charge roughly 3% of total sells for facilitating the sell from suppliers.
Farmers themselves seldom supply pangas and tilapia to whole sellers. When they
supply, they pay the transportation charge.
61. The main variables affecting market segmentation (the division of the market for
a pangas and tilapia into groups of customers with identifiable needs and
characteristics) are size of fish, freshness of fish, income of consumers,
production sites and location of retail markets.
62. The market for fish in Bangladesh has been rapidly changing and expanding as a
result of increased urbanizations, expanding population, decline of natural
supplies of fish, supplies of low value farmed fish and increased prices of
traditional sources of animal protein.
18
63. The negative point of pangas and tilapia markets in Bangladesh is probably
consumer backlash in coming days as greedy farmers over-fed the farming fish
with low cost supplemental diets that cause development of repulsive odor in
farmed fish.
64. Universally, farmed fish are starved for couple of days to get rid of bad smell in
fish resulting from feed, but in Bangladesh instead of stop feeding some farmers
over-fed the fish just before harvesting. This is suicidal approach for the fish
farming industry not only for pangas and tilapia but for other farming species as
well.
65. Main threat of farmed pangas and tilapia is consumer’s perception based on odor
reportedly coming from using chicken droppings in farms.
66. The animal protein is a volatile market in Bangladesh and whilst the trend in fish
consumption is clearly rising, the rate of increase in demand is dependant on
availability of cost-effective fish like pangas and tilapia, prices of alternatives
protein sources.
67. Taken as a whole, the impact of high density pangas and tilapia farming is
considered to be positive, because cheaper sources of animal protein are now
available to be majority of the poor income families and vertical production
increase of the two species has shown sustainable yield for years.
68. Currently, export market of both tilapia and pangas from Bangladesh is almost nil
as frozen fishes exported from here are mainly destined to ethnic markets where
sizable Bangladeshi people /worker are living. Expatriate Bangladesh always like
local wild fishes and both tilapia and pangas being exotic species has little market
in abroad to ethnic population.
69. In the present study it was found that fillet of both tilapia and pangas has good
prospect aboard in general markets. However, domestic fish demand is high that
pushes prices of both pangas and tilapia non-lucrative to exporters.
70. Filleting of fish makes almost 50% of biomasses as waste (carcasses) and
automatically price in processing plant becomes double compared to local market.
The strong domestic market makes it difficult to procure raw materials for
filleting.
71. The author collected information through networking as well as discussion with
aquaculture team of PRICE. It study surfaced an interesting discovery; processors
in Vietnam and Thailand where fish filleting is a good industry and they are
linked with feed mills where filleting waste are used to produce low cost
aquaculture or poultry feeds thus minimizing the cost of raw materials by selling
the waste.
19
72. It was reported by aquaculture team members of PRICE that as an initiative
PRICE assisted to organize a workshop on linking pangas farmers to a fish
processing industry. The workshop did not bring any positive result as price
offered by the processor was lower than domestic prices of pangas and tilapia.
73. However, strong domestic markets for the two species are a good sign for the
expansion of farming of these species for long term sustainability. Strong demand
for cost-effective fishes in local markets coupled with population growth and low
income group’s congregation to urban areas will still crates markets for pangas
and tilapia.
In the conclusions to the study based report, it is obvious that high yielding intensive and
semi-intensive farming of pangas and tilapia as a cost-effective fish for local
consumption has very good prospects. Export of whole fish to ethnic markets abroad
needs some initiatives to get rid of smell and export of fillets has good prospects despite
strong local market, if uses of fillet waste could be commercially utilized. That will lower
down the fillet cost significantly. Farmed fish, in particular pangas and tilapia, have
changed the national fish market in Bangladesh. In the immediate future, the market for
tilapia fish and pangas appears good though unstable specific for pangas, as it is
experiencing many changes.
The study has shown that the fish buying and consumption patterns for the majority of
the low income population are largely driven by price and availability and are remarkably
similar throughout the areas sampled. The report concludes that the potential for the
expansion of fish pangas and tilapia farming in Bangladesh is good, particularly for
tilapia, provided production costs, and therefore price, can be kept low. The results imply
that demand can be stimulated for new fish species, provided it is cheap, taking into
account that most Bangladeshi consumers have to give price and availability rather than
taste, a priority.
3. Preface
On the surface of it, someone might think that being a species–wise fresh fish market in
Bangladesh is a pretty simple business: hatchery produces spawns, nursery raises spawn
to fry and fingerling stages, feed millers supply pellet feed, input sellers supply basic
inputs, farmers raise fish, fishermen harvest, accumulator accumulates, whole seller
facilitates selling; retailers sell fish and consumer buy fish; processors made value
addition to made use’s friendly stuffs for export.
20
But, if someone are really follow the fish supply chain; hatcheries to table; hatcheries
where live seeds are produced, nurseries where tinny seeds are reared little bigger,
farming where fish are raised, farm gate where raised fish are harvested, accumulation
and transportation where harvested fish are pooled together with or without ice, whole
sale area where fish are auctioned, retail shops where fish are sold to household
consumers or bulk buyers like restaurants, jails, armed forces, processing plants, the
enterprise is more like a combination of being a hatchery business, nursing business, seed
trading business, farming business, feed manufacturing and marketing business, input
sellers business, transport business, whole sale business, retail business, fish peddler- a
door to door package delivery services.
The fisheries sector contributed roughly 4% of the GDP of Bangladesh in 2009. It
estimated that some 2 million people fish full time and 12 million do so part time, while
the aquaculture sector may involve the equivalent of more than 800,000 full time jobs in
production at various levels. Employment associated with provision of goods and
services, and with distribution and market may be several times this amount. Fish, in
particular, is of great importance to the poor, estimated to supply between 60% and 65%
of animal protein needs and to provide important opportunities for income and
employment. The fisheries sector has been identified in a series of National Plans as
being capable of significant development and generating national benefit. Ambitious
programme for growth in output and value have been proposed, based on a mix of
increasing access and yields from underexploited coastal and marine fishery resources
and on improved output from inland fisheries and aquaculture.
But every day, tilapia and Mekong river catfish, popularly known as pangas fish market
rises to the challenge with the help of complex supply and value chain team of nearly
50,000 people directly involved and much more of the associates.
Throughout year, each day, week, month and season demands for fresh tilapia and pangas
fish pour into Fish Market from households, restaurants, student hostels, hospitals, jails,
army, processing plants, retail and whole sale markets that has transformed seasonal fish
farming into a perennial business in some specific rural areas in Bangladesh. Pangas is
by far the most inexpensive fish for rural and urban poor; small sized tilapia is also not
very expensive. Pangas is also favors by different cross-segments of people due to its
fewer spines, scales-less body and less waste, high lipid content and taste. Children afraid
of fish spine always like pangas as their favorable fish. Tilapia is a medium priced small
fish affordable by poor and middle class buyers and is getting popularity among farmers
and consumers.
21
The semi-intensive and high density farms of tilapia and pangas either mono or mixed
culture in greater Mymensingh, greater Bogra, Naogaon, Norshindi, Brahmanbaria,
Bagerhat, Jessore and other areas receive orders round the year which generates high
demand at grass-root farming levels that indirectly signal to farmers and whole sellers a
tentative market demand country wide and what geographic area wants most delivery.
Each evening truck loaded with huge plastic drums containing live pangas leaves greater
Mymensingh and Bogra areas for large market places in cities and towns. The truck picks
up live pangas and fresh tilapia unload the stuffs at early morning. When the truck
arrives, the market team kicks into high gear, unloading the truck and storing the fish in
ice for tilapia and water buckets for pangas. Behind the scenes, farm managers have to
update their production costs because fish prices are volatile, changing every day. Mr.
Abul Kalam, Present of Trisal Fish farming Business Somity, says, “We are living an
doing business in situation where nothing is set in advance, get a orders sometimes we
supply when strong market persists and prices is higher than our production cost and we
wait to sell fish when market has glut or price is sliding or prices are at par with
production cost or lower. Similar voices were echoed by Mr. Abdur Rashid of Kahaloo in
Bogra like his counterpart in Trisal. Pangas is a hardy species and can live long without
feeds though starving causes loss in weight of fish but allows fish to get rid of bad smell
arising from feeding supplemental feeds. .
Market demand allows farmers to manually adjust the pricing based on production costs,
most of the whole sellers and retailers in Bangladesh deals with price fluctuations, newly
emerging supermarkets might be one price, but fish farmers and traders also have bear in
mind that almost all household based smaller customers actually determine the price of
fish. Fish farmers and rural fish traders in the country do not follow net-working to
determine the prices. However, wholesale marketers or organized farmers use cell phone
to know the market demand and supply situations.
Fish farmers say, “When it comes to putting the orders together, we have different types
of producers: one farmers does tilapia or carps; another does pangas, and so forth. When
the tilapia farmer is complete selling his stuffs, he prepares his ponds for next cropping.
Fish farmers usually switches from a species to other based on market demand. Large
farmers harvest their farm based on market orders. The orders are weighed; ponds with
rearing fish is sampled, sorted and harvested and pangas are loaded into a fleet of trucks.
“The order of delivery changes every day.”
22
Anyway, tilapia and pangas are two species market of these fishes are expanding though
farmers often switches from one species to another based on market demand or
anticipation of higher prices. Sometimes supply situation of other animal protein like
chicken and beef also effects market situations. Farmed fish (like pangas and tilapia)
demand and price is also somewhat dependent on landing of wild fish from natural
sources. Both tilapia and pangas are exotic in nature and they are occupying the
traditional market of pond cultured carps. Bangladeshis are traditionally likes to eat wild
fish and few decades earlier, over 90% of fish used to come from wild sources and pond
based stocks; those were production in closed water bodies raised without supplemental
feeding.
The historical perspective of Bangladesh society to depend on wild/natural fish has
already changed a lot. Traditionally, natural fish supply in the country used to come from
250 odd freshwater species dominated by carps and over 400 species of marine and
estuarine species dominated by hilsa and catfishes. Now, situation has changed greatly
where farmed fish is now replacing natural fish in fish market; however, it is not known
the pattern on species-wise.
Since farming of fish and marketing is an important economic activity mostly among
rural and to a certain extent in urban markets, it is essential to know extent of market
dynamism on farmed fish species wise for future planning. In this study, two very
important species were chosen for the study; tilapia and pangas, simply because these
species are produced in high density with high yield and market expansion is also rapid.
Besides, commercial farming of these two species is flourishing in some localized
geographical areas from where collection of information/data is fairly easier. Further,
international market for these two species is expanding rapidly; Bangladesh has yet to
enter international frozen markets with tilapia and pangas fillet, though her southeast
Asian neighbors has already doing thriving business with theses species.
Bangladesh farmed fish currently contribute almost 50% of total fish production in the
country (however, government statistics shows roughly 40%) and aquaculture as a whole
contributes significantly to GDP and supplying much needed animal protein supplies to
masses in the low-income country to fulfill the nutritional demand to fight malnutrition.
As in many developing countries, Bangladesh aquaculture also contributes important and
constructive effects on countryside and urban food supply and on income generation and
employment, self-employment and opportunistic employments. Nevertheless, ever
increasing demand for fish and other aquatic organisms in Bangladesh rural and urban
markets; improvised, traditional and not so very efficient supply chain networks after
23
harvest; during transportation and storage causes deteriorations of the fish and related
perishable commodity. Thus, the above mentioned factors influence the supply and price
of fish and also control farm fish production in the country.
Fish farming or aquaculture being an agribusiness system are being driven the efficient
and effective operation of “back-to-back”. This means that there are both opportunities
and challenges, if fish farming is for industrial scale production for market demands or
used as a tool to reduce poverty and hunger as a food security options and/or to promote
overall economic development of the country through promotion of socially responsible,
ecologically sound and environment-friendly sustainable closed water fish farming.
Fish in Bangladesh as mentioned earlier is principal source of animal protein (60% or
more of national intake) in the country. Beside animal protein, fish alone also provides
lipid, highly unsaturated fatty acids, fat soluble vitamins, micro-nutrients like calcium to
daily ration of Bangladeshi diets. Freshwater fish farming has a major potential to
contribute to increasing incomes, employment, self-employment and opportunistic
employment and improving nutrition. Freshwater fish farming can therefore contribute
significantly to food security, family nutrition, and poverty reduction strategy of
Bangladesh under climatic change scenario.
Bangladesh is one of the least developed countries, where though urbanization is
progressing with a rapid speed, but still nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas
and with scarce land masses for plough, there is an urgent need to fight poverty, and
prevent unplanned migration to the cities. The fish farming in Bangladesh reportedly
initiated with indigenous carp species; then, high yielding domesticated exotic species
were introduced. Among the exotic species, Mekong river catfish popularly known in
Bangladesh as pangas and Nile Tilapia and its modified version of GIFT (Genetically
Improved Farmed Tilapia) and transformed version of mono-sex tilapia farming has
become more popular among farmed fish as cost-effective and affordable table fish.
The traditional pond based low production of fish in Bangladesh has got increasing
diversification in recent years and farming systems has greatly improved. Low cost of
labor in rural Bangladesh coupled with seasonal unemployment’s of agricultural labors
and small farmers presents a noteworthy opportunity for scaling up closed water based
fish farming to attain increased jobs and income for diverse stakeholders; hatcheries,
nurseries, grow-outs, input sellers, rural based and unban based traders and processors.
24
4. Objectives of the study
The objectives of the assignment is to rapidly assess the current production, inputs
supplies for farming and market scenario of the two species and comprehensively at
ways to expand domestic production and market and exploring possibility of export
markets analyzing secondary information and networking.
The objectives thus are, in the principal to identify pangas and tilapia growing regions,
input supply sources, supply chain, domestic markets for pangas and tilapia - in big urban
market - to assess the acceptability of the farmed produced pangas and tilapia by cross-
section of population to those responsible for purchasing it (in other words, the buyers for
the retail trade) for the main commercial producers in pangas and tilapia growing regions
in the country.
5. Approaches Adopted for the Study
Much has been written about fisheries in Bangladesh and aquaculture as a whole,
however, relatively little or less is known about overall market, market trend, farmer’s
understanding, and consumers’ reactions in urban and rural markets; effects on family
based nutrition and export possibilities. However, rapidly growing species based
commercial farming of fish is important economic activities in rural Bangladesh. There
have been few opportunities to examine the distinct characters or features of species
based prospect and potential of fish farming in the country. The overall performance of
farmed fish in Bangladesh is vaguely described and the farming sector of fresh water
aquaculture is not dependent on a single species as it is found in relation to giant prawn
(fresh water shrimp, golda farming) or brackish water shrimp (black tiger, bagda
farming).
The performance of a commercial farmed species under diverse market scenario across a
broad outlook and with a sufficient degree of objectivity is necessary for market study.
This study has attempted to take an impartial perspective of two farmed fish species
(pangas and tilapia) in Bangladesh those are growing rapidly both in rural and urban
markets targeting specially to poorer segment of the population with huge demand that is
expected to be increasing. Further, commercial seed production of these species and
adaptation of these species to commercial pellet feeds made it easier to quantify the
25
amount produced. As number of farmed species in freshwater fish farming is many, prior
scrutiny was probably taken by PRICE to select the target species. PRICE initially has
taken attempt for study on two species, tilapia and pangas. Therefore, potential of
specific activities of two specific products of fresh water aquaculture is the target of the
study. Apparently, the specific reasons for particular developments or trends in two
farmed species are probably the first step towards overall market study on fish
aquaculture in Bangladesh in future. Wherever the cases, and wherever it was possible,
data has been cross-examined, validated with diverse key-informant within supply chain
actors of pangas and tilapia.
The work was developed and compiled using the following approaches:
• Review of background documents – available with diverse agencies, department
of fisheries, different reports by projects, research organizations, different
agencies directly working with pangas and tilapia trade.
• Intensive travels that was permitted under the contract, discussion and interviews
with farmers, traders and other supply chain actors.
• Discussions with other key informants – to develop preliminary images, culture
pattern, marketing trends, and consumer’s reactions to interrelate on analyze the
projection on two farmed fresh water fish species.
• Direct conversation with producers, traders and consumers on limited scale for
validation exercises to assess production, value, employment and consumption
data
• Tried to develop a key scenarios defining the relative importance and key trends
in tilapia and pangas farming in the country based on the financial, distributional
and social implications
6. Methodology
Since, at the time of the survey, the farmed pangus and tilapia was visibly different from
the main farmed carp species, the task was in fact three-fold:
• To assess the degree of assimilation and acceptability for the people associated
with the farmed tilapia and pangus alongside the carps and other fish, this, of
course, has the same growing areas end up in same markets.
26
• Consumer’s acceptability of famed tilapia and pangas for the sustainability of the
farmed business for long run under Bangladesh socio-economic and cultural
conditions.
• As a consequence, to establish the extent to which the farmed tilapia and pangas -
same biomass as of carps - would be accepted and/or welcomed by the
consumers.
In so doing, the analysis ascertained species-wise side by side, the farming and other
value chain actors activities in seed production capacity, seed trade, nursing facilities,
grow-out farming, feed manufacturing and trade, harvesting, transportation, auction,
retailing, optimal market size and the applicable price ranges for sale to the public.
The result of this was to demonstrate what size of farmed tilapia and pangas and qualities
should be in order to obtain maximum acceptance in its main distribution networks, and
the extent to which these can be valorised in the production and sales prices.
To conduct the study, questionnaire were made by the consultant and vetted with PRICE
authorities; initially with ATM, Akther Hossain Khan and then with Dr. Md. Abul
Hossain. Once the questionnaires were approved by PRICE and on the spot inspections
were made and interview was conducted sometimes in presence of PRICE staffs and
mostly individually. Several sets of questionnaire were made and are included with the
report as annexure.
Besides findings through questionnaire and interviews to key respondents, corresponding
to the final report, the supply chain activities often forward and backyard linkages were
also photographed. Besides, while survey was conducted on two fish, the respondents
wee asked to narrate their experiences, opinion and prospects of the individual species.
Two fish in Bangladesh are exclusively farmed, without any from natural sources (except
few tilapias in coastal shrimp ghers), and there are no wild fish of similar appearance,
with the exception of a few wild small and tiny tilapias that is not included as market fish.
In the study of the safety of pangas and tilapia in whole sale and retail fish markets in
mainly in Dhaka City and district towns of Mymensingh, Sherpur, Netrokona, Jamalpur
Tangail, Bogra, Jessore, Naogaon and Chittagong city were found some spoilages
specially in tilapia and dead pangas, mixed with blood, slime, filth and mud lowering the
price of fish and consumers rejections; mishandling after harvest and during
transportation.
27
The study was based on 20 site visiting and inspecting samples of pangas and tilapia that
were traded 40 randomly selected trading houses/aratders. The study found that 2-3% of
tilapia samples were spoiled, 20% were mixed with slime and blood, and 8 -10 were
mixed with filth and mud. What's more, one-third of the samples, taken from a number of
different sites/arats, were poorly packed while transported with ice and local insulated
materials by trucks.
The study contended that there were abuses in handling pangas and tilapia all along the
supply chain from the farm gate to the whole sellers and retailers. But it placed the largest
share of the blame at the transportation and handling level.
"We clearly know we did not cover the whole farmed fish market in Bangladesh," said
Dr. Abul Hossain, Team Leader Aquaculture, PRICE, when he was briefing the
consultant (the author) about the study. He said, "We think the study we took is small but
indicative enough and reliable enough to show an indication of farmed fish market trend
in Bangladesh".
The handling of fish, like that of egg, meat and poultry, is largely unregulated by the
Government of Bangladesh, and this report bolsters the contention of independent
consumer advocacy groups that thanks mandatory aqua-food safety inspection is
necessary. Some may think the findings overblown and said a case could not be made on
such a small sampling with just two species.
Nonetheless, some notable concerned stakeholders, associated with the industry, fish
farmers and trader’s association and processors, acknowledged that the study was "not all
that bad as an indicator of the farmed fish conditions in the surveyed areas."
The study, which will be submitted to PRICE (a USAID project), looked at initially at
two species: tilapia and pangus. The study examined the market condition the two species
of farmed fish for its future trend to determine its future market both locally and for
export.
7. Findings of the Study
7.0. Tilapia and Pangas Aquaculture in Bangladesh
Bangladesh in recent years has made good progress to increase in fish culture, growing
by 5-6 % per year over the last few years, with levels of 1,250,000 in 2009-2010 by
28
estimate of the study. More than 300,000 ha of freshwater ponds and more than 900,000
households are involved. However, it is difficult to pin-point the species-wise
contribution in farmed fish production. Based on secondary data available in different
sources as well as brief survey in pangas and tilapia farming areas and consumption of
milled dry pellet used in farming of these two commercial species a rough production
figure is estimated. It appears that huge gap in reported and actual production and
marketing of these two species exist. When talked to concerned department of fisheries
officials they also maintained the view that production of pangas and tilapia is under
reported and corrective measures will be taken in future.
Table 1: Year-wise fish production and per-capita consumption in Bangladesh*
Year 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010**
Population
(million)
130 132.9 136.0 139.2 142.5 145.8 149.2 152.7 156.3 160
Fish production
(x 000 ton)
1,781 1,890 1,998 2,102 2,215 2,328 2,440 2,563 2,701 2,850
Production by
culture
(x 000 ton)
712 786 856 914 882 892 945 1,005 1,062 1,211
Total Per capita
consumption of
total fish (kg/yr)
13.7 14.2 14.7 15.1 15.6 16.0 16.4 16.8 17.3 17.8
Fish
consumption
per capita,
g/day
37.5 39.0 40.3 41.4 42.7 43.8 44.9 46.0 47.4 48.8
Per capita
consumption
from
aquaculture
(kg/yr)
5.5 5.9 6.3 6.6 6.2 6.2 6.4 6.6 6.8 8.9
* Source: Statistical year book and MFL fish fortnightly; ** projected
As shown in Table 1, culture based fish production in the country is expected to cross
1,200,000 ton during 2009-2010. Based on the projected population of 160 million, it is
assumed that per capita fish available to the masses will be roughly 18 kg annually. The
country indeed producing expanded amount of fish biomass annually, however,
population increase does not allows increased amount of consumptions as each year
29
several million new moths needs to be fed. An well come addition to Bangladesh fish
production is that only panags and tilapia and to certain extent climbing perch and other
some minor species are produced through semi-intensive and intensive farming methods.
If, other farming species in the country also follow the trend of pangas and tilapia, then
overall production of fish in the country may increase dramatically in future.
Table 2: Year-wise production of pangas and tilapia in Bangladesh
Species 2006-2007* 2007-2008* 2008-
2009*
2009-2010
(Estimated)
2015-2016
(Projected)
Production (ton)
Pangas 13,524 32,130
59,474 263,310 349,965
Tilapia 33,576 66,400 16,237 62,175 108,263
Total 47,100 98,530 75,711 325,485 458,228
* Source: Fisheries Statistical Yearbook of Bangladesh
The government records shows negligible amount of both panags and tilapia were
produced during last three financial years as shown in Table 2. However, the study
indicated that roughly 9% fish landed in market is farmed pangas and that of tilapia share
to the fish market is 2,2% based on estimated total production of fish in the country is
2,850,000 ton during 2009-2010.
There are reportedly, more than two dozen of farmed fish in the country out of reportedly
over 250 species of fresh water fish in the country. The author tried to collect the popular,
commercial as well as scientific names of the all farmed fresh water species in the
country. The table below (Table 3) shows a list of 29 species those are reportedly farmed
in Bangladesh commercially. However, commercial hatcheries reportedly produced seeds
of 20-25 species commercially. However, reportedly some species with little amount of
farming areas collect wild seed for limited scale of farming. Anyway, the study basically
focused on tilapia and pangas only.
Table 3. Fresh water Farmed Fish Species in Bangladesh
Local/Indigenous Farmed Species
Exotics/Imported Framed Species
Local & (English Name) Scientific name Local & (English Name) Scientific name
Rohu (Ruhu carp) Labeo rohita Silver carp (Silver carp) Hypophthalmichthys
30
molitrix
Catla (Katla carp) Catla catla Bighead (Bighead carp) Aristichthys nobilis
Mrigal (Mrigel carp) Cirrhinus cirhosus Carpio (Common carp) Cyprinus carpio
Calbasu (Black ruhu) Labeo calbasu Mirroe (Mirror carp) Cyprinus carpio
var. nudus
Ghannya (Kuria Labeo) Labeo gonius Glass carp (Grass carp) Ctenopharyngodon
idella
Sharpunti (Silver barb) Puntius saran Thai Pangas (Pagas
catfish)
Pangasius
hypopthalmus Magur (catfish) Clarias batrachus Tilapia (Nile tilapia) Oreochromis
niloticus
Shing (Stinging Catfish) Heteropneustes
fossilis
Thai koi (climbing perch) Anabas testudineus
Gania Labeo boggut Rajputi (Java Barb) Barbobymus
gonionotus
Pabda Ompok pabda Thai Chiitol (Feather
back)
Chitala chitala
Gulsha Mystus cavasius African magur (African
catfish)
Clarias gariepinus
Bata (bata) Labeo bata Black carp (snail carp) Mylopharyngodon
piceus
Tatkini (Reba) Cirrhinus reba Thai rupchanda (Piranha) Pygocentrus
nattereri
Mohashol Tor tor Chital (Humped
Featherback)
Chitala chitala
Vetki (Burramondi) Lates calcarifer
Total 29
7.1. Tilapia and Pangas as Farmed Species
7.1.1. Pangas
Pangas (Pangasius pangasius) is a native reverie catfish and perhaps once was most
priced freshwater fish in Bangladesh, considered as a delicacy among all Bengali
specking community all over the world. The fish is known to breed in estuary and can
tolerate certain degree of salinity. However, its life-cycle is not fully understood yet
under Bangladesh conditions. Unfortunately, landing of this valuable species from wild
was steadily declining for several decades. Several attempts were taken in Bangladesh for
its induced spawning in captivity, but failed that hindered its farming. In late 1980s a
similar catfish popularly known as Thai pangus (initially termed as Pangasius sutchi),
originated from Mekong river and a popular farmed species in south East Asian countries
31
were imported to Bangladesh.
All over Bangladesh the introduced catfish of Thai origin is known as by its old scientific
name Pangasius sutchi, specifically among academic circle, but elsewhere especially in
Fish base-2004 the correct name the fish has been reported as Pangasianodon
hypophthalmus. In our rest of the document the species will be called as P.
hypophthalmus, whenever it is necessary. The photograph of the fish is shown in Fig.1.
7.1.1.1. Source: The Mekong river catfish (P. hypophthalmus) was brought from Thailand
to Bangladesh as test animal to do its induced spawning to learn more about riverine
catfish’s breeding techniques. However, the domesticated catfish soon become culture
species in Bangladesh. The few specimens of hypophthalmus pangas were brought to
Bangladesh were reportedly gifted to Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) and
Bangladesh Agriculture University (BAU), Faculty of Fisheries.
Reportedly, both organizations successfully artificially induced the fish for seed
production. As the seed production procedure of the species is almost similar to those of
carp species, it was easy to artificially induce them to breed. Commercial hatcheries also
soon procured the seeds of pangas and by early 1990s the species become popular farmed
species in the country. The pangas reportedly has high fecundity (ability to produce eggs
by female individual) and commercially hatcheries has incentives for mass production of
pangas seeds.
Fig. 1. Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Pangasius sutchi), introduced striped
catfish (accepted name by Fish Base-2004)
32
Anyway, the appearance of the introduced catfish (exotic species) may be vetted with
local riverine catfish (Pangasius pangasius) shown in Fig. 2. Though Pangasius is known
as local riverine catfish of Bangladesh but it is reportedly widely distributed in south East
Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. However, Pangasius
catfish is not a commercial culture species in Bangladesh or in South-East Asian
courtiers. Bangladesh reportedly failed to domesticate the species for seed production and
mass farming and introduced hypophthalmus catfish in the country as a substitute as
riverine pangas is considered as a prized fish in Bangladesh.
Fig. 2. Local catfish, Pangasius pangasius pangas (source: Fishbase-2004)
The Mekong river catfish, pangas was introduced to Bangladesh in late 1980s after
repeated failure of artificial seed production of local pangas. The Mekong river catfish
popularly known as Thai Pangas soon got popularization in seed production, nursing and
farming. Reportedly to the beginner pangas farming is relatively easy, as stocking and
supplemental feeding regularly ensures good crops, further scarcity of dissolve oxygen
does not hamper pangas farming as the species has the ability of gulping that ensures
oxygen supply. The survival of pangas in grow-out is almost 100% and that makes
farming management easier. Sampling and biomass determination for pangas is easy as
well. The author is not a biologist, however while conducting the study occasionally with
PRICE aquaculture team members, the author had opportunities to observe farmed
hypophthalmus pangas in farms and markets; live and dead, however, the farmed species
in the country looks vey similar to other pangas species of south East Asian region as
shown in Fig. 3-5.
33
Fig. 3. Pangasius bocourti (source: Fishbase-2004)
It is not clear whether introduced pangas popularly known as Thai pangas is genetically
corrupted pangas of hypothalamus with other species or not. When discussed with
aquaculture team members of PRICE they said that genetic study on the species
reportedly done at Bangladesh Agriculture University couple of years earlier and they
pointed out that genetic corruption reportedly occurred in pangas currently farmed in
Bangladesh under the name of Thai pangas. Anyway, to a commoner like the author the
farmed pangas in Bangladesh has some similarity in external appearances to the
specimens shown Fig. 1, 3, 4 & 5. Other Thai specimen shown in Fig. 6-9 does not
show any similarity with farmed pangas in the country.
Fig. 4. Pangasius conchophilus (source: Fishbase-2004)
34
Fig. 5. Pangasius djambal (source: Fishbase-2004)
Fig. 6. Pangasius kunyit (source: Fishbase-2004)
Fig. 7. Pangasius kunyit (source: Fishbase-2004)
35
Fig. 8. Pangasius larnaudii (source: Fishbase-2004)
Fig. 9. Pangasius sanitwongsei (source: Fishbase-2004)
7.1.1.2. Types: Pangas as mentioned earlier is a fresh water catfish, belongs to
Pangasiidae (shark catfishes, as its morphology has similarity with sharks) family under
the order of Siluriformes (catfishes) in taxonomic strata of fish. Pangasius sutchi has
roughly reddish muscle but its close relative Pangasius hypopthalmus has white meat and
popular in frozen fish market. Bangladesh is producing huge amount of sutchi pangus
whereas Vietnam is producing huge amount of hypopthalmus pangus, thus occupies most
of the fillet market of catfishes.
7.2.1. Tilapia
36
Tilapia is also an exotic species like he Mekong river catfish (P. sutchi) was initially
brought from Africa in early 1950s. Bangladesh the then East Pakistan, had experiences
of mixed culture of indigenous carps, spawn, fry and fingerling of those were used to
collect from rivers, an uncertain sources, where carps used to breed seasonally in
monsoon only . At that time tilapia was considered as a miracle species as it breeds round
the year in closed water bodies and assumed that pond based fish production will get a
boost by introducing tilapia. However, the domesticated Mozambican tilapia soon
became a culture hazards in Bangladesh. The species though was successful to breed
round the year but pond eco-system was not able to provide sufficient natural foods to
sustain a huge population. It usually produces numerous mouths but a little biomass for
human consumptions. Currently, Bangladesh fresh and brackish water eco-system
reportedly harbours several varieties of tilapia those were legally or illegally introduced
to the country.
While conducting the study and frequently visiting fish markets and tilapia farms, the
author and some of the aquaculture team members of PRICE were also puzzled to
observe many types of tilapia available in the country. No doubt all tilapia available in
Bangladesh are introduced as exotic species. It is not clear whether all tilapias are
directly introduced from its source of origin (Africa) or came via third countries. It is
reported that GIFT variety of tilapia were introduced through the than ICLARM
(currently known as World Fish Centre) to Bangladesh from Philippines. However, all
varieties of tilapia available in Bangladesh is not is not commercial culture species.
Currently GIFT and mono-sex tilapia has become commercial farmed species in the
country. The author down-loaded some picture of tilapia from inter-net and also
collected some pictures from aquaculture team members of PRICE to compare those
marketed or farmed tilapia in the country. The closely obverted farmed and so called wild
tilapia being marketed or harvested from farms and examined the external appearances
and discovered that the available specimens in the country is so varied that they
resembles different species identified the fishbase-2004. Some pictured of available
tilapia I Bangladesh and those pictured at their source of origin are shown in Fig. 10-21.
The farmed and free tilapia in Bangladesh natural ecosystem looks very similar to some
tilapia species available in their source of origin. It is important to maintain pure strain of
any farmed species to maintain good productivity in a sustainable manner for a long time.
While talking to different mono-sex hatcheries in the country most of them reported that
that they either imported the strain from Thailand or simply domesticated the available
37
GIFT in Bangladesh in their brood banks adjacent to hatcheries. It may be reported that
all tilapia hatcheries in the country in-fact are mono-sex hatcheries where all males are
produced.
Fig. 10. Farmed red tilapia in Bangladesh (source: Aquaculture team, PRICE)
Fig. 11. Farmed Nile tilapia in Bangladesh (source: Aquaculture team, PRICE)
38
Fig. 12. Farmed GIFT (Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia) in Bangladesh (source: Aquaculture team, PRICE)
Fig. 13. Wild tilapia usually found in shrimp ghers (enclosure) in Bangladesh
(source: Aquaculture team, PRICE)
39
Fig.14. Mono-sex tilapia (source: Aquaculture team, PRICE)
Fig.15. Oreochromis andersonii (source: Fishbase-2004)
40
Fig. 16. Oreochromis macrochir (source: Fishbase-2004)
Fig. 17. Oreochromis mossambicus (source: Fishbase-2004)
41
Fig. 18. Oreochromis placidus placidus (source: Fishbase-2004)
Fig. 19. Oreochromis spilurus niger(source: Fishbase-2004)
42
Fig. 20. Oreochromis niloticus niloticus (source: Fishbase-2004)
Fig. 21. Oreochromis aureus (source: Fishbase-2004)
Partial success of Nile tilapia farming under Bangladesh conditions with low cost
supplemental feeding, introduced tilapia in Bangladeshi dining tables occasionally. GIFT
43
(Genetically Improved farmed Tilapia) tilapia also breed round the year but grows faster
when quality grade supplementary fees are used but very often creates farming hazards as
planned farming is quite difficult due to increased number of small tilapia in farming
water. To control baby tilapias in farms, mono-sex tilapia has been developed
commercially in Bangladesh during last couple of years and soon it became a very
popular farmed species. It contains more flesh, could be raised 2-3 crops/year and also a
suitable species for cage farming in the country.
7.2.1. 1. Source
Initially, Oreochromis mossambicus (at that it was known as Tilapia mossambicus) were
imported to Bangladesh from some African countries. Later in early days of Bangladesh,
in 1970s Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niliticus (at that it was known as Tilapia niliticus) was
also introduced through importing from Egypt by directorate of fisheries of Ministry of
Fisheries and Livestock. Then GFT variety of tilapia was introduced from Philippines
through ICLARM. The mono-sex tilapia was developed in Bangladesh following the
techniques developed elsewhere. To produce mono-sex seeds both GIFT and some other
varieties developed AIT (Asian Institute of technology) and commercial Thai farms were
imported by the private sectors.
7.2.1. 2. Types
The Mozambican tilapia did not perform well under Bangladesh conditions and it was
never used as farmed species sincerely. However, tilapia became partially popular
farmed species when the Nile tilapia was introduced. However, commercial farming
breakthrough was achieved when GIFT varieties of tilapia was imported to Bangladesh
from Philippines where it was developed by the then ICLARM (International Centre for
Living Aquatic Resource Management) HQ in Manila. The HQ of ICLARM was then
shifted to Penang, Malaysia and now the organization is currently known as World Fish
Centre (WFC). Using the GIFT as base resources, mono-sex tilapia was later developed
as all male individuals in a stock. Mono-sex seed production is a one time seed for a crop.
Besides GIFT, so called super tilapia and AIT tilapia were also widely used in the
country to produce mono-sex seeds.
44
7.3. Hatcheries
In general there are two types of fresh water fin fish hatcheries exist in Bangladesh; there
is no brackish water or salt water commercial fin fish hatcheries in the country. Out of
two types of hatcheries one is induce spawning types where fishes, both male and female
individuals are usually injected with hormones and then they are either allowed to spawn
in spawning tanks, or pressed to release ova and semen and mechanically mixed together
to facilitate fertilization. In case of spawning in tanks technicians closely observe the
breeding process and quickly collect fertilize eggs by siphoning and rear them initially in
hatching and then in nursing tanks
Fig. 22 shows a traditional fin fish hatcheries in the country. These types of hatcheries are
capable of producing different types of fish seed production including pangs. However,
tilapia being a fresh water fin fish is capable to produce seeds under captive conditions,
unlike all other fresh water farmed species in the country, and so no normal tilapia seeds
are produced in general hatcheries. Specialized mono-sex tilapia is usually produced
through specialized hatcheries.
. Fig. 22. The structure of a conventional fish hatchery in Bangladesh
45
Table 4. Division-wise fish spawn/seed production including Pangas and Tilapia in
Bangladesh during 2009-2010
It was found that throughout Bangladesh there were roughly 710 fin fish hatcheries
operation during 2009-2010 (Table 4). Total fish spawn production in 2009-2010 were
found to be 479,708 kg of which Indian major carps dominated the list followed by exotic
carps. Pangas seed production occupied roughly 14% of the total as shown in Table 4.
As mentioned earlier, mono-sex tilapia seed production is not recorded as spawns, instead
the seed produced as mono-sex by hormone treatment is recoded as individual fry or
fingerlings. In 2009-2010, a total of 191 operational mono-sex tilapia hatcheries combine
produced roughly 1430 million small tilapia ready to release to ponds.
Fish group-wise production
(kg)
Tilapia
Fry production
(Numbers) Division
No.
of
Hatchery
Indian Major Carps
Exotic
Carps
Pangas Others
Total Fish
spawn
Production
(kg) Hatchery Fry/
fingerling
Dhaka 166 54041 43663 30,758 735 129368 69 436.4
Sylhet 17 4502 2743 16 0 7278 2 16
Chittagon
g 170 43918 18106 7800 342 70396 78 716.9
Barisal 35 20334 9450 25 0 29844 5 23
Khulna 81 44419 31948 3580 1389 81417 24 142.1
Rajshahi
&
Rangpur 241 70903 64890 24,715 656 161405 13 96
Total
710
238117
170800
66,894
3,122
479,708
191 1430.4
Percent
(%)
-
49.7
35.6
13.9
0.7
100
46
Fig. 23. A low cost fin fish hatchery suitable to produce both Pangas and carp seeds
The secondary data collection and analysis as well as data verification by randomly
selected few hatcheries in Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Tangail, Bogra, Jessore, Naogaon and
Jessore areas indicated that there are roughly over 700 operational fin fish hatcheries in
the country during 2009-2010, as shown in Table 4.
It may be mentioned that almost all seed of farmed tilapia in Bangladesh are currently
coming from specialized tilapia hatcheries where tiny baby tilapias are hormone treated
to convert them all males and production and marketing figures are usually documented
in numbers. The GIFT variety of tilapia those are in farming usually comes from ponds
and not from hatcheries and thus is not included as hatchery produced seed. Anyway,
their numbers are not that significant.
7.3.1. Seed Production of Pangas
In case of pangas no natural breeding occurs in farming ponds unlike tilapia and certain
species of carps. Most of the hatcheries artificially induce the broods (adult and ripe male
and female fish) by injecting hormones. Reportedly, hormones are collected from
pituitary glands (PG) of other fishes. The preserved PG is commercially available. Other
47
source of commercially available hormones is called HCG (Human gonodotropin
hormone) that is mostly imported and readily available. The hatchery technicians
examine both injected male and female’s genital organ and when finds they are ripe to
release ova and semen technicians press the belly of the fish that allows both males and
females to release semen and ova those are then mixed mechanically for fertilization.
Anyway, after injection of hormones pangas species are manually manipulated to release
eggs and semen. The released semen and eggs then mixed together for artificial
fertilization.
In pangas hatcheries, after spawning broods are removed and fertilized eggs are usually
shifted to larval rearing tanks and speedily sold to nurseries for further rearing to fry
stages. The spawn after transferring from hatching and temporary rearing tanks are
shifted to nurseries where intensive cares are taken to convert them into fry stage and
some nurseries reared up to fingerling stages
The pangas has high fecundity and reportedly they produce 20-30% of their body weight
of ova at a time. The total numbers of hatcheries in Bangladesh producing pangas spawn
are shown in Table 5-11. As show in Table 5, total number of operational hatcheries in
Dhaka division in 2009-2010 is 175.
Out of these hatcheries roughly 34 of hatcheries are involved in pangas seed production.
This is interesting to note that out of 17 districts in Dhaka division all districts have 1 to 98
hatcheries operational in 2009-2010. However, only hatcheries in 5 districts in fact involved
in production of pangas seeds. Mymensingh in Dhaka division registered highest number of
hatcheries (53) involved in pangas see production. More than 50% of hatcheries in
Mymensingh produce pangas seeds together with other fish seeds.
Table 5. District-wise fish Pangas spawn production by pangas hatcheries in Bangladesh
during 2009-2010 against total number of fish hatcheries (Dhaka Division)
SL# Name of
Districts
Number of
Hatcheries
Number
Involved with
Pangas Seed
production
Amount of
Pangas Seed
Production
(spawn, kg)
Tentative
number
Baby
(million)
Expected
number of
fry/
fingerlings
(million)
1 Mymensingh 98 53 29,725 14863 5945
2 Kishorgonj 4 2 193 97 39
3 Netrakona 3 0 0
4 Jamalpur 7 2 180 90 36
5 Sherpur 7 0 0 - -
6 Tangail 6 0 0 - -
7 Dhaka 1 0 0 - -
48
In Dhaka division, a total 30,758 kg of pangas seeds were produced in 2009-2010
through 60 pangas hatcheries. Almost 90% panags hatcheries in Dhaka division is
located in Mymensingh districts. While taking to fish seed traders association members at
Mymensingh, they reported that Mymensingh and Bogra supplies most of pangas seeds
used for farming in the country.
Table 6. District-wise Fish hatcheries different districts in the Country (Sylhet Division)
In Sylhet division aquaculture as a whole is lagging far behind compared to other regions.
While talking t concerned people associated with GOB extension services as well as fish
seed traders and BFRI staffs as well as PRICE aquaculture team members, it was
reported that Sylhet is situated at low lying areas where many natural depressions
8 Narayanganj 1 0 0 - -
9 Manikgonj 4 0 0 - -
10 Narshingdi 3 2 260 130 52
11 Gazipur 11 0 0 - -
12 Munshigong 1 0 0 - -
13 Faridpur 10 0 0 - -
14 Shariyatpur 2 0 0 - -
15 Gopalganj 4 0 0 - -
16 Madaripur 4 0 0 - -
17 Rajbari 9 1 400 200 80
Total 175 60 30,758 15379 6152
SL# Name of
Districts
Number of
Hatcheries
Number
Involved
with
Pangas
Seed
production
Amount of
Seed
Production
(spawn,
kg)
Tentative
number
baby
(million)
Expected
number of
fry/fingerlings
(million)
1 Sylhet 2 2 16 8.0 3.2
2 Shunamgonj 6 0 0 0 0
3 Moulovhirbazar 4 0 0 0 0
4 Hobigonj 6 0 0 0 0
Total 17 2 16 8 3.2
49
popularly known as hoars exists. The hoars are good source of wild fish supplies and
people of Sylhet is pond of eating wild fish and aquaculture has not flourished there
compared to other parts of Bangladesh.
Anyway, Sylhet division is also small having only 4 districts. All four districts of the
division combined has only 17 fin fish hatcheries. Out of 17 fin fish hatcheries, only two
hatcheries produces few amount of pangas spawns as shown in Table 6.
Table 7. District-wise Fish hatcheries different districts in the Country (Barisal Division)
Similar to Sylhet division, Barisal division also have comparatively few hatcheries. With
6 districts have a total of 35 fin fish hatcheries and out of all fin fish hatcheries only one
hatchery produces negligible amount of pangas spawn as shown in Table 7. Barisal like
Sylhet division is not famous for fish farming as the division is situated at southern parts
of Bangladesh crossed by many rivers and their tributaries making it a suitable area for
natural fish supplies. Besides, district of Barisal division is located near to bay of Bengal
also a good source of natural fish from salt water. Out of 35 fin fish hatcheries in this
division, only one hatchery produced 12.5 kg spawn in 2009-2010.
Table 8. District-wise Fish hatcheries different districts in the Country (Rajshahi Division)
SL # Name of
Districts
Number of
Hatcheries
# involved in
Pangas Seed
production
Amount
of Spawn
( kg)
Tentative #
of baby
Pangas
(million)
Expected # of
fry/finger-
lings
(million)
1 Barishal 17 0 0 0 0
2 Bhula 7 1 25 12.5 5
3 Jhalokathi 2 0 0 0 0
4 Borguna 1 0 0 0 0
5 Patuakhali 8 0 0 0 0
6 Pirojpur 0 0 0 0 0
Total 6 35 1 25 12.5 5
SL # Name of
Districts
Number of
Hatcheries
# involved in
Pangas Seed
Amount
of Spawn
Tentative #
of baby
Expected # of
fry/fingerlings
50
Table 9. Fish hatcheries different districts in the Country (Rangpur Division
Table 8 and Table 9 shows total number of fin fish hatcheries in Rajshahi and Rangpur
divisions, respectively. In Rajshahi division number of districts are 11 and combined all
these districts have 181 fin fish hatcheries. Out of 181 fish hatcheries, 67 of these
hatcheries were involved pangas seed productions together with other fin fish seeds
during 2009-2010.
production ( kg) Pangas
1 Rajshahi 18 2 150 75 30
2 Bogra 89 49 24130 12065 4826
3 Joypurhat 15 15 3314 1657 663
4 Chapai
Nababganj
2 0 0 0 0
5 Naogan 24 0 0 0 0
6 Natore 9 0 0 0 0
7 Pabna 14 1 300 150 60
8 Sirajgonj 10 0 0 0 0
Total 8 181 67 24,580 13,947 5579
SL # Name of
Districts
Number of
Hatcheries
# involved in
Pangas Seed
production
Amount
of
Spawn
( kg)
Tentative #
of baby
Pangas
Expected # of
fry/fingerlings
1 Rangpur 12 0 0 0 0
2 Kurigram 10 0 0 0 0
3 Lalmonirhat 5 0 0 0 0
4 Nilfamari 9 1 5 2.5 1
5 Gaibandha 12 0 0 0 0
6 Dhinajpur 15 1 130 65 28
7 Thakurgaon 3 0 0 0 0
8 Panchagar 4 0 0 0 0
Total 8 70 2 135 67.5 29
51
Table 10. District-wise Fish hatcheries different districts in the Country (Chittagong
division)
Total 67 hatcheries were found to produce pangas spawn of 24,580 kg (Table 8). As
mentioned earlier, Bogra is one of the two districts producing large amount of pangas
spawn is located in Rajshahi division. Surprisingly, the adjacent district of Bogra, the
Naogaon district had no hatchery producing pangas spawn tough the districts is known as
a famous pangas growing areas in the country. It was revealed through the study that
Naogaon being adjacent to Bogra a prime producer of pangas seeds established many
pangas nurseries and sells fry and fingerlings of pangas through fish seeds traders.
In Rangpur division there are 8 districts and combined all these districts have 70 fin fish
hatcheries (Table 9). However, all of these hatcheries produced most non-pangas fin
fishes during 2009-2010. Only two hatcheries, one in Nilfamari another in Dhinajpur
produced small amount of pangas spawns during the investigated period. One hatchery in
Nilfamari in fact, produced only token (5 kg) amount of spawn.
SL # Name of
Districts
Number of
Hatcheries
Number
Involved with
Pangas Seed
production
Amount of
Seed
Production
(spawn, kg)
Tentative
number
baby
Expected
number of
fry/fingerlings
1 Comilla 84 52 5667 2783.5 1113.4
2 Brahman
baria
34 28 1838 917 367
3 Chandpur 19 3 15 7.5 3
4 Noakhali 12 0 0
5 Feni 24 2 280 140 56
6 Lakshmipur 11 0 0 0 0
7 Chittagong 5 0 0 0 0
8 Cox’s Bazar 1 0 0 0 0
9 Rangamati 1 0 0 0 0
10 Khagra-
chhori
1 0 0 0 0
11 Bandar ban 1 0 0 0 0
Total 11 170 85 7,800 3848 1539.4
52
The particulars of Chittagong division based hatcheries are presented in Table 10 and
those in Khulna division are shown in Table 11.
Table 11. District-wise Fish hatcheries different districts in the Country (Khulna
division)
Chittagong division has significant number fin fish hatcheries involved with pangas seed
production during 2009-2010, out of 170 fin fish hatcheries exactly 50% (85) hatcheries
were engaged to produce pangas seeds together with other fin fish seeds (Table 10). The
85 hatcheries combined produced 7,800 kg of spawn in 2009-2010. Most of the
hatcheries involved in pangas seed production in Chittagong division is located in
Comilla and Brahmanbaria districts as shown in Table 10.
In Khulna division there are 81 fin fish hatcheries, however, only 14 of these hatcheries
were involved to produce panags seeds in 2009-2010. Anyway, the 14 hatcheries of the
division is located in Jessore and all hatcheries in Jessore combined produced 3,579 kg of
pangas spawn as shown in Table 11.
7.3.2. Seed Production of Mono-sex Tilapia
Mono-sex tilapia hatchery does not follow the similar process of seed production like
pangas and other fin fishes mentioned earlier. All fin fish hatcheries needs brood fish for
their hatcheries for seed productions, but not all fin fish hatcheries maintain brood banks
SL # Name of
Districts
Number of
Hatcheries
Number
Involved with
Pangas Seed
production
Amount of
Seed
Production
(spawn, kg)
Tentative
number
baby
Expected number
of fry/fingerlings
1 Jessore 35 14 3,579 1789.5 715.8
2 Jhenaidah 4 0 0 0 0
3 Magura 1 0 0 0 0
4 Narial 0 0 0 0 0
5 Kushtia 19 0 0 0 0
6 Maherpur 4 0 0 0 0
7 Chuadanga 0 0 0 0 0
8 Satkhira 15 0 0 0 0
9 Khulna 3 0 0 0 0
10 Bagerhat 0 0 0 0 0
Total 10 81 14 3,579 1789.5 715.8
53
in the hatchery premise.
Fig. 24. A brood bank of tilapia adjacent to a mono-sex tilapia hatchery
However, unlike pangas and other fin fish hatcheries all mono-sex hatcheries’ must
maintain brood banks in their hatchery premise or in areas under their control. Mono-sex
tilapia hatcheries does not induce the broods to breed or spawn, instead they collect
fertilized eggs from mother tilapia, allow to hatch those in hatcheries and treat them with
male hormone starting from fist feeding.
Tilapia breeds naturally in closed water bodies several times in a year and they do not
need induced breeding. However, excessive breeding by tilapia in farms creates
management problems with numerous mouths of different sized fish that necessities
mono-sex farming of tilapia. Since sex differentiations at early stage are difficult and
segregations of thousands of same sized fish are a hazard farmers feel comforts to use
mono-sex seeds coming out of hatcheries. Table 12- 17 shows number of mono-sex
tilapia hatcheries division-wise in the country. The Tables for each division also shows
district-wise mono-sex hatchery distributions. The tables also shows total number of fry
and fingerlings produced in each districts during 2009-2010.
54
In Chittagong division, there are a total of 78 mono-sex tilapia hatcheries most of those
(32) are located in Comilla district, followed by Cox’s Bazar with 13 and Noakhali with
12 hatcheries. Combined total of 78 hatcheries in the division is 716.9 million fry and
fingerlings as shown in Table 12.
Table 12: Distribution of commercial Mono-sex Tilapia hatcheries and seed production
in different districts of Bangladesh (Chittagong division)
Sl. No. Districts No. of Hatcheries Seed Production
(Million)
1 Brahmanbaria 2 12
2 Chandpur 7 52
3 Chittagong 8 63
4 Comilla 32 171.8
5 Cox's Bazar 13 318
6 Feni 1 20
7 Lakshmipur 2 7.1
8 Noakhali 12 70
9 Rangamati 1 3
Total 78 716.9
Fig. 25. A brood tilapia contains fertilized eggs in its mouth and a hatchery
staff is about to collect the eggs from mouth of fish.
55
Fig. 25 shows a brood tilapia with fertilized eggs in its mouth. It was reported to the
author that male tilapia assist to prepare nest for females to lay eggs and then he fertilized
the eggs in nest. After fertilization, female groom the fertilized eggs to hatch within
couple of days. This process is natural for tilapia. In the process, male female ratio
usually maintained at 50:50 level.
In mono-sex hatcheries therefore, it is mandatory to maintain brood banks to collect
fertilized eggs periodically and a certain numbers of fertilized eggs are needed to treat
tem with hormones at fist feeding to couple of days. The collection of fertilized eggs
from mouth of mother tilapia does not necessarily ensure sufficient number of similar
staged metamorphosed eggs. If, similar staged of metamorphosed eggs are not pooled
together, it will not ensure time-bound hatching from a batch. Therefore, hatchery staffs
segregate eggs of different metamorphosed stages and pooled them separately. The stages
of metamorphosis are detected with colors.
Fig. 26. Hatchery staffs segregate fertilized eggs depending on colors.
56
Fig. 27. Selected fertilized eggs are incubated in jars with continuous
running water in hatchery.
Fig. 28. Quality of collected eggs; whitish colored eggs indicates dead
larvae inside
57
The performance of eggs in mono-sex tilapia production is reportedly based on quality
of fertilized eggs being collected. If there are white eggs that is an indication that all eggs
are not properly fertilized and discard of the lot reportedly profitable. Fig. 28 shows
some whitish eggs those will not hatch and better to discard.
Table 13: Distribution of commercial Mono-sex Tilapia hatcheries and seed production in
different districts of Bangladesh (Barisal Division)
Sl. No. Districts No. of Hatcheries Seed Production
(Million)
1 Barishal 2 12
2 Patuakhali 3 11
Total 5 23
Table 13 shows presence of mono-sex tilapia hatcheries in Barisal division. There are
only 5 mono-sex hatcheries in the division and these hatcheries are located in two
districts only. That means other 4 districts of the division has no mono-sex hatcheries and
probably depends on other hatcheries for supplies. However, it was observed that other
fin fish hatcheries are also few in the division.
Table 14 : Distribution of commercial Mono-sex Tilapia hatcheries and seed production in
different districts of Bangladesh (Rajshahi Division)
Sl. No. Districts No. of Hatcheries Seed Production
(Million)
1 Rajshahi 3 12
2 Bogra 2 11
3 Natore 2 10
4 Pabna 3 35
Total 10 68
A total of 10 mono-sex tilapia hatcheries in 2009-2010 were operational in Rajshahi
division in its four districts. The combined production of mono-sex tilapia seeds in
Rajshahi division is 68 million (Table 14).
58
Fig. 29. Hatched out tiny tilapia babies yet to completely absorb egg yolk sac
Newly hatched babies of tilapia are closely observed whether they have completely
absorbed the egg yolk sacs or not. Completely absorbed egg sac reportedly stimulate
baby fish to open their mouth to take exogenous feeds. This is reportedly important
period to treat the babies with hormone. Fig. 29 shows baby about to absorb egg yolk sac
and appears to ready for hormone treatment.
There are only 3 mono-sex tilapia hatcheries in Rangpur division, one at Gaibandha and
the other at Rangpur. The combined production of mono-sex tilapia babies in these two
hatcheries is only 28 million as shown in Table 15. .
Table 15: Distribution of commercial Mono-sex Tilapia hatcheries and seed
production
in different districts of Bangladesh (Rangpur Division)
Sl. No. Districts No. of Hatcheries Seed Production
(Million)
1 Gaibanda 1 4
2 Rangpur 2 24
Total 3 28
59
Table 16: Distribution of commercial Mono-sex Tilapia hatcheries and seed production in different districts of Bangladesh (Dhaka division)
Sl. No. Districts No. of Hatcheries Seed Production
(Million)
1 Tangail 3 23
2 Sherpur 1 2.7
3 Dhaka 8 44
4 Faridpur 2 7
5 Gazipur 4 24
6 Jamalpur 6 43.2
7 Keshorgonj 2 9
8 Manikgonj 1 3
9 Mymensingh 39 268
10 Netrokona 3 12.5
Total 69 436.4
Compared to Rangpur division, Dhaka has more mono-sex hatcheries (69) and combined
production of the baby tilapia in the division is well over 430 million. Out of 69
hatcheries Mymensingh alone has 39 and also produce 268 million mono-sex tilapia
seeds followed by Dhaka and Tangail where roughly 44 million seeds are produced in
each district of Dhaka and Jamalpur, respectively as shown in Table 16. Besides these
three districts, other 7 districts have comparatively lees number of hatcheries and lees
number of seeds. However, Tangail with three hatcheries produce 23 million and that of
Gazipur with 4 hatcheries produces similar number of mono-sex tilapia seeds.
Table 17: Distribution of commercial Mono-sex Tilapia hatcheries and seed production in
different districts of Bangladesh (Khulna Division)
Sl. No. Districts No. of Hatcheries Seed Production
(Million)
Jessore 11 50.2
Magura 2 24.8
Narail 1 0.1
Satkhira 8 67
Bagerhat 2 7
Total 24 149.1
In Khulna division, total numbers of mono-sex tilapia hatcheries are 24. Highest numbers
of 11 hatcheries are in Jessore followed by Satkhira by number of hatcheries. However,
combined production of Jessore is less than Satkhira as shown in Table 16. Total
production in Jessore is 50.2 million compared to those in Satkhira is 67 million. Some
hatchery in this division produces very little number of seeds like one hatchery in
Magura. As a division, Sylhet produces least number of mono-se tilapia seeds as shown
60
in table 18, where two hatcheries in Sylhet district produces only 9 million mono-sex
tilapia seeds. Three other districts of the division have no mono-sex hatcheries.
Table 18: Distribution of commercial Mono-sex Tilapia hatcheries and seed
production in different districts of Bangladesh (Sylhet Division)
Sl. No. Districts No. of Hatcheries Seed Production
(Million)
1 Sylhet 2 9
Total 2 9
As a process of converting bisexual baby tilapia to mono-sex of male individual, it is
necessary to treat them with male hormones. Anyway, once commercialization of
hormone induced sex reversal became a reality, commercially farming of tilapia (mono-
sex) boomed in Bangladesh. However, mono-sex tilapia seed production is a complex
and lengthy procedure. Tilapia is a mouth groomer and female tilapia keeps fertilized
eggs inside their mouth cavity and oxygenates the eggs for hatching. In mono-sex
hatchery both male and female tilapia are fed in “hapa” (a net enclosure hanging in
water), and after breeding fertilized eggs form mouth of fish are mechanically collected.
The collected eggs are then aerated in jars/trays until hatching. After hatching and egg
yolk-sac absorption when larvae open mouths they are first fed with male-hormone
(testosterone) incorporated feed and within couple of days all baby fish turns into male
individual and popularly known as mono-sex tilapia seeds.
Tilapia is now globally recognized as the important aquaculture species of the 21st
century. According to the FRSS, DoF 2007, tilapia production of the country was about
0.02 million tons in 2005. By the last 10 years (2000 – 2009) there has been a tremendous
progress in tilapia farming in Bangladesh. The recent set back in monoculture of river
catfish due to increase in feed cost and falling market price has also encouraged
progressive farmers and entrepreneurs for adoption of tilapia aquaculture. The
Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) was introduced in Bangladesh in 1994
from the Philippines. Due to excellent growth performance and other relevant traits
(survival, fecundity and disease resistance), the strain has been gaining popularity day by
day. As a result, a number of entrepreneurs have already established tilapia hatcheries for
production of seeds in commercial scale for farming of both monosex and mixed sex
tilapia. Details list of the tilapia hatcheries and their recent production are shown in
Tables 12-18.
61
In relation to pangas and tilapia seeds farmers are complaining about quality of seeds and
some old farmers interviewed reported that pangas and tilapia are not growing as they did
couple of years earlier. When the matter was talked with specialist, it was reported that
inbreeding may be the problem if identical farms using same quality are now giving
different results. A survey on quality of seeds and on inbreeding problem with randomly
selected stakeholders showed that majority of respondents except those associated with
seed trade said that qualities of seeds are not improving. Roughly one fourth of hatchery
related and seed trade related people claimed that seed quality in recent years is
improving. However when asked about inbreeding problem all categories of respondents
replied in majority that they are aware of the problem or heard about it as shown in Table
19.
Table 19: Tilapia & Pangas Producer -Trader’s response to quality seeds
Yes (%) No (%) Don’t Know (%)
Quality of seeds improving
Hatchery related people 25 60 15
Nursery related people 15 56 29
Fish seed traders 21 35 44
Fish farmers 10 67 23
Aware about Inbreeding problem
Hatchery related people 75 10 5
Nursery related people 65 16 19
Fish seed traders 60 25 15
Fish farmers 50 20 30
When discussed about expansion of mono-sex tilapia farming in the country, key
respondents informed that the tilapia males grow faster than the females, so, all male
monosex culture has gained higher popularity than the mixed sex culture. Thus
progressive farmers came forward to grow monosex tilapia in their farms. Initially only 5
hatcheries were established during 1999 but quick adoption of BFRI GIFT mixed strain
and monosex seed production technologies, the number of such hatcheries raised to 62
by 2007 and by 2010 it become 191, those are producing a total of more than 1430
million monosex fry every year as mentioned earlier. The other cause of rapid expansion
of activity (seed production and culture) in the country is that as it is a short cycle fish, so
farmers are more interested to have a quick economic return at least thrice a year.
62
7.4. Nurseries
There are two types of nursing business has developed in the country for most of the
farmed fresh water fish species these are popularly known as conventional nurseries and
over-wintered nurseries.
7.4.1. Conventional Nurseries
Fish spawns and sometimes fries are sold to fish nurseries before selling it to farmers for
table fish production. There are different types of nurseries in the country. One type of
nursing is done for pangas during monsoon when the peak season of fin fish seed
production is known as traditional or conventional nursing; and over-wintered nursing,
during dry season when farmers are reluctant to stock fish in pond due to low
temperature. It may be mentioned that fish farming in Bangladesh is still largely season
based where rain fed water is trapped during monsoon in ponds for aquaculture and
household uses. Understandably, during dry season, water levels depletes making
unsuitable for stocking fish and most farmers in the country usually harvest fish at the
beginning of dry season. Besides, fish being a cold blooded animal does not grow as fast
as it do during summer and monsoon and retarded growth of fish in winter months
discourage farmers to farm fish in dry season.
Fig. 30A shows a conventional nursing ponds usually used for nursing of carps and
pangas. Fig. 30B shows a series of nursing ponds for commercial nursing of both pangas
and tilapia together with other farmed species. Once, nursing is complete the nursing
ponds may or may not be used for small sized grow-out facilities. Both conventional and
over-wintering nursing could be done in same nursing ponds. Only, difference is during
conventional nursing rain fed water is used and during over-wintering nursing
supplemental water may be needed. Fig. 31 shows a controlled nursery for mono-sex
tilapia where baby sex-revered tilapias are initially reared (nursed) following strict
procedures before marketing for grow-out farming.
63
Fig. 30A. A conventional pangas nursery (similar nurseries are also used for carps)
Fig. 30B. Series of Nursing ponds where both pangas and tilapia are nursed
together with other species
64
Fig. 31. A specialized mono-sex tilapia nursery (initially water should be
transparent)
Pangas seedlings are nursed both conventional as well as over-wintered nursing. Since
pangas is a larger fish unlike tilapia table fish production requires considerable time, 8-10
months including nursing period. Small farmers usually buy fries and small fingerlings
from conventional nurseries and directly stocks to grow out farms/ponds. Nursing
business with pangas usually done by professional nursery owners who collect spawns
and hatched-out fries directly from hatchers and nursed then for couple of weeks and
even for months. Farmers or fish seed traders purchase fries and fingerlings from nursery
owners and farmers transport them directly to their ponds and traders either transport
those to fixed buyers or wait for orders to be supplied to farm gates of purchasers.
Large and organized farming usually have their own nurseries and grow-out ponds and
follows a continuous nursing and grow-out culture. They usually engage fish seed traders
to round the year seed supply and made additional nursing at their in-house nurseries to
raise fingerlings to their desired sizes. Pangas nursery owners like all other commercial
fish seeds does not want to retain nursed seed for log time as passing time allows
fingerlings to gain weight soon it may exceed carrying capacity of biomass of the
nursery. Fig. 32 shows fries of pangas in a conventional commercial nursery.
65
Fig. 32. Nursed panags fries in conventional nurseries (in a nursery
pond of beneficiary member of a PRICE partner, DMBBS)
However, nursed fries or fingerlings must reach a sized chosen by farmers to ensure good
survival. Fig. 33 shows good sized pangas seed to be shifted to farmer’s grow-out.
Fig. 33. Nursed panags fingerlings in nurseries ready for sale (in a
pond of beneficiary member of a PRICE partner, DMBBS)
It s important to raised nursed panags to as size to lure seed traders as well as large
66
commercial farmers to buy in bulk for high density/ semi-intensive farming. Fig. 34
shows a nursery operator measuring a pangas fingerling to its lengths to ensure certain
sizes for marketing.
Fig. 34. A nursed pangas fingerling measured by a nursery operator
In case of tilapia, other than mono-sex varieties nursery business is not popular as tilapia
is traded from hatcheries after nursing. Fig. 31 in earlier page shows an obligatory
nursing process where nursing of mono-sex tilapia is part of the marketable seed
production process.
As mentioned earlier, mono-sex is produced after hatching of larvae and treating them
with male hormone. Hormone treatment is reportedly done while first feeding the fish.
First feeding must be done in confined condition, either in concrete tanks or in hanging
“hapa” in natural food poor ponds so that the baby tilapia does get access to natural
foods.
If the baby tilapia takes natural foods their chances of conversion to mono-sex will be
hampered. Fig 35 shows such babies in nursing in hapa with hormone treated feeds. It
may be mentioned that for tilapia babies in a plankton free pond for nursing before sex-
converse is essential. In the hapa the baby tilapia those who have just opened their mouth
in hatching Jar/plate are shifted and hormone treated feeds are administered.
67
Fig. 35. The converted mono-sex tilapia babies ready to be
nursed to fry/fingerling stages for marketing
In Fig. 36 Nursed fry of mono-sex tilapia are shown. These fries are ready for sale to
farmer’s level. Once the fry/fingerling stages of mono-sex tilapia is ready at hatchery
cum nurseries, the cycle of mono-sex seed production is over.
Fig. 36. Nursed mono-sex fry ready for sell to farmer’s level
7.4. 2. Over-wintered Nurseries
The conventional nursing is an economic activity practiced since commercial hatcheries
68
started operation in the country in early 1980s. However, conventional hatcheries provide
seeds for farming at monsoon and unable provide seeds before April-May in bulk.
However, at the beginning of warm weather by February in Bangladesh, water bodies
also starts warming making it suitable for faster fish growth but hatcheries does not starts
its operation until mid April when most farmed species in the country develops their
gonads for breeding and makes suitable time for induced breeding in hatcheries. This
situation has created new economic opportunities in fish nursing. At the end of monsoon
fish seed price declines dramatically due to less demand and hatcheries are forced to sell
spawns/seeds at much lower rates. These low priced spawns/fries are usually procured by
non-conventional nursery owners for a prolonged nursing though winter period and
popularly termed as over-wintered nursing. Conventional nursing usually goes for
couples of weeks whereas over-wintered nursing continues for several months. Anyway,
over-wintering (OW) has created and opportunity for perennial fish farming where round
the year water supply to farming areas is available.
Fig. 37.Over-wintered nursed pangas fingerlings/juveniles for early crop
69
Fig. 38.Over-wintered nursed GIFT fingerlings/juveniles for early
crop (in a hatchery of beneficiary member of a PRICE partner )
The use of over-wintered fingerlings helps stocking of ponds as early as late January and
crops may be harvested by June and second cop with newly available hatchery produced
seeds could be used. Fig. 37 shows OW nursed pangas seeds; and Fig 38 and 39 shows
OW seeds of tilapia of mono-sex and GIFT varieties.
Fig. 39.Over-wintered nursed GIFT fingerlings/juveniles for early crop
70
Here it may be mentioned that conventional nursing initiated as a part of fish farming
often practising nursing together with grow-outs after selling bulk of nurse seeds and
rearing for rearing for table fish. In some cases, framers used to stock low cost seeds in
high density and selling apparent excess seeds as nursed to others and retaining required
nursed fingerlings or juveniles for table fish production. However, OW nursing now has
emerged as new economic activities and many farming houses with small water bodies
are now practising over-wintering as an extra source of income generation for the family.
7.5. Pangas and Tilapia Seed Market Place
Aquaculture seed market is scattered throughout the country as pond based fish farming
got a momentum since commercialization of fish seed production with induced spawning
/breeding in hatcheries. Department of fisheries extension services, Bangladesh Fisheries
research institute’s initiatives, non-governmental organization’s efforts and private seed
traders supply of seeds to farm gates helped expansion of fish farming in the country.
Fig. 40. A makeshift Fish seed Market place in Mymensingh where mostly
pangas and mono-sex tilapia are traded (a PRICE partner at DMBBS)
However, all types of aquaculture in the country since 1980s followed traditional farming
methods; cleaning the water body by removing aquatic vegetations, fertilization and
liming and stocking mixed carp species, namely 4-5 native indigenous carps, and 4-5
exotic carps of Chinese origin imported from south east Asian countries. However,
71
introduction of high yielding varieties of fish like pangas and tilapia initiated the
commercialization of fish farming in the country. Popularization of fish farming also
helped to develop organized fish seed business in the country centring hatchery and
nursery zones in the country where hatchery and nurseries are concentrated. Therefore, 3
commercial large market places have developed as fish seed trading centres; Chasara in
Jessore; Digerkanda in Mymensingh and Alamdighi in Bogra. Fig. 40 shows a fish seed
market place in Mymensingh (Digerkanda).
Chasara is concentrations of small earthen ponds, with or without “hapa” is situated in
the centre of huge nursery zones and presence of many hatcheries in the peripheral areas.
The market plans is temporarily used to store fry and fingerlings of different types of fish.
Large farmers, vendors and fish seed traders comes to the Chasara fish seed market with
trucks, vans, and other modes of vehicles. Fish seed traders bring the sellable stuffs from
nearby nurseries and stock temporally in ponds often aerated by pumping and flashing
waters to facilitate oxygenations.
Fig. 41. A fish seed trading local vehicle is used in Bogra region to
carry seeds of mainly pangas to a makeshift market place
72
Fig. 42. A permanent Fish seed Market place in Jessore where mostly all types of fish seeds including pangas and mono-sex tilapia are traded
Digerkanda is different types of fish seed market place. The traders here posses nurseries
those are scattered in couple of villages and whenever farmers or small traders comes to
buy fish seeds they re shown the samples kept at shop in containers and required number
of seeds are freshly harvested and given to the buyers. The traders in Digerkanda usually
do business as order supplier. They take order either by personal presence of buyer or
orders received by cell phone and supply the required number of seeds to the farm gates
of farmers or buyers.
Alamdighi is yet other types of market place where every day during high demand for
fish seeds traders bring live seeds to Alamdighi market with containers and directly sells
the seeds to prospective buyers. This market acts like a vegetable and fruit supplier
markets. However, the traders those who sell fry and fingerling in the market also owns
nurseries and provide seeds to bulk buyers by orders. Fig. 41 shows transportation of
marketable pangas seeds to a market place nearby using a makeshift vehicle. Fig. 42
shows counting of juvenile tilapia seeds to farmers who comes to fish seed market place
in Jessore.
7.5.1. Pangas
Pangas most popular farmed fish in Mymensingh, Netrokona, Sherpur, Jamalpur,
73
Tangail, Pabna, Bogra, Joypurhat, Brahmanbaria, Norshindi and Naogan areas.
Understandably, these areas have more pangas hatcheries and nurseries compared to
other areas. Physical fish seed trading places are also concentrated in those areas. Biggest
market place for pangas is Digerkanda in Mymensingh. The traders in this market places
seldom owns hatcheries themselves, instead they owns small to medium sized nurseries;
both traditional wet season nurseries and winter time over-wintering (OW) nurseries.
Thus the traders are able to supply pangas fry, fingerling and OW fingerlings to farmers.
The traders in Digerkanda reportedly supply bulk fingerlings to large and organized
farming business by tucks at the buyer’s farm gates. Fish seed markets in Alamdighi also
sell bulk of pangas fry and fingerlings. However, fish seed market in Chasara does not
cater pangas as dominant species like in Digerkanda. They sells pangas as one of the 24
species of farmed fish and seed market share of pangas is less than 10% f total seed sells.
However, there are many hatcheries in Jessore areas that produce pangas seeds. When
asked why pangas seeds are not that dominant as it should be based on the presence of
number of pangas hatcheries; some key informant on condition on anonymity reported
that a lot of pangas seeds cross the Bangladesh-India boarder illegally as Bangladesh
produces pangas seeds more cost-effectively compared to their Indian counterparts. It
reported that India does not allow import of pangas seeds.
7.5.2. Tilapia
Tilapia, specially mono sex tilapia is becoming a popular farmed fish in Lakshmipur,
Noakhali, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Chandpur, Comilla, Mymensingh, Netrokona,
Sherpur, Jamalpur, Tangail, Pabna, Bogra, Joypurhat, Gazipur and Noagan areas.
Traditionally, there were no tilapia hatcheries in the country as tilapia breeds in captivity.
However, introduction of hormone induced mono-sex tilapia hatcheries many types
hatcheries mushroomed in the areas mentioned, coming from no where in a decade back
to over hundred hatcheries in the country. All physical fish seed trading places are also
catering mono-sex tilapia fry and fingerlings. However, trading of mono-sex tilapia is
usually done by the hatchery them using their own marketing networks, oxygenated poly-
bag and trucks. The traders in this market places sells less mono-sex seeds compared to
carp and pangas fry and fingerlings.
7.6. Grow-out Farming
74
Farming or raising table fish in Bangladesh through aquaculture long has been a seasonal
economic activities/ business in rural Bangladesh. This is/was partially due to farming by
using rain fed water and partially water temperature goes down during winter retarding
the growth of fish (fish are cold blooded, and reportedly they can’t regulate their body
temperature and low temperature in winter decrease their body temperature and slow
physiological activities). However, the story has changed completely when high yielding
pangas and 2-3 crops of mono-sex tilapia emerged as farming species and farmers pooled
their resources to farm fish not as part time but full time business. However, pangas and
tilapia has different grow-out systems. It may be mentioned that Bangladesh is a country
with huge population and low income by vast majority of the masses has no market size
for fishes. Fishes with whatever sizes are produced gets ready-made markets.
Experts believe that no-market size scenario for fishes indeed created an opportunity for
low income group of people eating mostly under sized and low cost fish that supplies
mostly most micro-nutrients notably calcium and other necessary minerals. Further, it
was also mentioned by experts that panags being a high protein and high lipid fish
supplies much needed animal protein, fat soluble vitamins and unsaturated fats to low
income groups. The grow-out farming of pangas and tilapia (mainly mono-sex tilapia) are
completely different compared to other commercial farming species, mainly different
varieties of carps. Fig. 43 shows a high density/semi-intensive pangas farm in Bogra.
Fig. 43. A high density panags farm in Bogra region (in a
pond of beneficiary member of a PRICE partner)
75
Fig. 44. A high density Tilapia farm in Norshindi region
Fig. 44 shows a high density Tilapia farm at Norshindi area. The semi-intensive farm of
tilapia and pangas are of different types where panags is usually produced a single
cropping pattern that last 8-9 months to attain 800-1000g in average body weight. On the
other hands, good market size for tilapia is 200-300 g and short farming session of 3-4
months are good enough to raise tilapia to that market size. Therefore, tilapia crop could
be harvested twice to three times in year, if proper planning is made where nursing and
grow-out are segregated. Table 20 and 21 show major pangas and tilapia farming areas
in the country, respectively.
Table 20. Major Pangas Farming Regions in the Country based on Farming Intensity
Intensive Farming,
30 ton or above/ha
Semi-intensive
Farming, 15-29 ton/ha
High-Density Farming, roughly
10-14 ton/ha Mymensingh Jamalpur Pabna
Bogra Joypurhat Noakhali
Netrokona Brahmanbaria Kustia
Norshindi Jessore Dinajpur
Kishoregongj Satkhira Noakhali
Sherpur Kustia Hobigonj
76
Tangail Jessore
Naogaon
Table 21. Tilapia Farming Regions in the Country based on Farming Intensity
Intensive Farming, 15
ton or above/ha
Semi-intensive Farming,
10-14 ton/ha
High-Density Farming, roughly 8-9
ton/ha
Bogra Joypurhat Pabna
Norshindi Brahmanbaria Feni
Jhenaidah Jessore Noakhali
Kishoregongj Dinajpur Chaudanga
Naogaon Satkhira Gaibandha
Kustia Jessore Hobigonj
Netrokona Mymensingh Shariatpur
Jamalpur Sherpur Madaripur
Tangail
7.6.1 Monoculture of Pangas
Pangas is relatively a larger fish compared to tilapia. The fish has better market with size
ranges of 500-1000g and above. However, fish as small as 300g are often sold in markets.
Conventional grow-out of pangas with or without in-house nursing usually lasts 7-9
months. Some farmer’s stock fingerlings directly to grow-out ponds and harvest the
market sized fish. Other organized faring business usually performs series of nursing to
maximise use of physical farming resources, the ponds. Grow-out of pangas is usually
done either mono-culture or mixed culture basis. Fig. 45 shows a high density harvestable
pangas farm in Mymensingh area.
77
Fig. 45. A high density harvestable panags crop in pond
Fig. 46. A high density harvestable panags mixed with tilapia in pond
Initially, mono-culture of pangas got popularity due to its fast growth high survival and
78
good feed conversion rates. However, high yield from a unit area creates high demand for
supplemental feeds as pangas are scavengers and they do not utilize plankton foods
naturally grown in fish ponds and excessively grow where fertilization and supplemental
feeds are used. Soon, farmers discovered that mono-culture of pangas creates heavy
plankton bloom that since they are not utilized by pangas it drops to the bottom
completing its life cycle for about a week. The dropping of dead plankton to bottom of
pond pollutes water and release of minerals by decomposition of dead plankton again
creates an environment that allows more phyto-plankton to grow. Fig. 46 shows a high
density panags and tilapia farming where both species showed high yield.
Though, there is a rough estimate of fish production in Bangladesh and fish landings
from natural and farming sources but species-wise fish production from aquaculture/
farming is fragmentary and it appeared through the study that government statistics is
out-dated and does not reflects rapid changes occurred in grass-root level specially in
farming of panags and tilapia. Table 22 shows recorded production of tilapia and pangas
in 2008-2209 and estimated production in 2009-2010 and projected production in 2015-
2016. As shown in Table 22, estimated country-wide production of pangas in 2009-2010
is roughly 4 times higher than recorded production of 2008-2009 and that of tilapia is
also 5 times higher than the recorded figure of a year earlier. As shown in Table 22,
Dhaka division tops both in panags & tilapia productions followed by Rajshahi.
Table 22: Total estimated production of Pangas and tilapia in 2009-2010 and projection
for 2015-2016*
Pond
area
(ha)
Production
2008-2009 (ton)
Production
2009-2010
(Estimated)
Production 2015-2016
(Projected) Division
Total fish Pangas Tilapia Pangas Tilapia Pangas Tilapia
Dhaka 40570 130470 24410.7 6625.8 180,110 24290 270165 36435
Rajshahi 30467 83061 33288.6 1469 57,000 18,630 85500 27945
Chittagong 20658 64026 2709.7 1377.7 5,850 4,640 8775 6960
Rangpur 12506 39639 1113.5 959.1 2,330 4,140 3495 6210
Khulna 14988 50347 1294.4 2321.8 5,255 7,860 7882.5 11790
Sylhet 7675 20226 918.4 602.3 2,765 2,615 4147.5 3923
Others 10,000 5,000 30,000 15,000
Total 126864 387769 63735.3 13355.7 263,310 67,175 349,965 108,263
• Division-wise figure for panags and tilapia till 2008-2009 were collected from Fisheries
statistical yearbook based on districts.
79
Table 23: District-wise pond based pangas and tilapia production in Dhaka Division
Pond
area
(ha)
Production
2008-2009 (ton)
Production
2009-2010 (Estimated)
Production 2015-2016
(Projected) District
Total fish Pangas Tilapia Pangas Tilapia Pangas Tilapia
Mymensingh 8353 29184 7617.0 29.2 73,500 1460 110250 2190 Netrokona, 6550 21434 2979.3 503.7 18,750 2,270 28125 3405 Sherpur 1291 4516 1528.7 563.6 7,400 2,150 11100 3225 Tangail 3,017 7841 2889.0 689.2 16,500 2,500 24750 3750 Norshindi 2108 6291 3375.8 806.5 29,500 4,810 44250 7215 Kishoregongj 4979 17145 3976.4 2861.5 23,550 6,620 35325 9930 Jamalpur 1788 6471 1497.4 428.4 7,200 1,530 10800 2295 Dhaka 2551 7894 15.0 371.2 440 760 660 1140 Munshigonj 1872 5488 160.2 130.1 740 610 1110 915 Narayangong 1383 5081 79.8 137.7 650 790 975 1185 Shariatpur 2079 6402 146.6 42.2 665 430 997.5 645 Madaripur 2083 5739 72.9 50.5 495 210 742.5 315 Manikgong 2516 6984 72.6 12.0 720 150 1080 225
Total 40570 130470 24411 6625.8 180,110 24290 270165 36435
Table 23, shows recorded, estimated and projected production of pangas and tilapia for
2008-2009, 2009-2010 and 2015-2016 years, respectively in geographical distributions in
districts of Dhaka division. As mentioned earlier, Mymensingh produces highest amount
of panags in Dhaka division followed by Norshindi. Whereas Kishoregongj tops the list
in tilapia production in the division followed by Norshindi.
Table 24 : District-wise pond based pangas and tilapia production in Rajshahi Division
District Pond Production Production Production 2015-2016
80
area
(ha)
2008-2009 (ton) 2009-2010
(Estimated)
(Projected)
Total fish Pangas Tilapia Pangas Tilapia Pangas Tilapia
Bogra 9477 26970 16,155.0 612.2 33,200 7,560 49800 11340 Pabna 7324 20183 2,139.4 74.7 3,750 1,300 5625 1950 Naogaon 10768 26680 13,932.3 439.5 17,850 2,580 26775 3870 Chaudanga 1270 3987 191.4 289.1 290 1,170 435 1755 Kustia 1628 5241 870.5 53.5 1,910 6,020 2865 9030
Total 30467 83061 33288.6 1469 57,000 18,630 85500 27945
In Rajshahi division, Bogra tops the list among the districts in production of both pangas
and tilapia followed by Naogaon and Pabna as shown in Table 24.
Chittagong division is not as prominent as of Dhaka and Rajshahi divisions in production
of pangas and tilapia in the country as shown in Table 25. Combined production of
pangas and tilapia in the division is around 5-6 thousands only. However, it was found
that GOB statistics till 2008-2009 completely ignored Chandpur district where sizeable
amount of tilapia are being produced through cage farming. By a current estimate
roughly 3000 ton of mono-sex tilapia is produced in Chandpur by cage farming alone.
Table 25: District-wise pond based pangas and tilapia production in Chittagong Division
Pond
area
(ha)
Production
2008-2009 (ton)
Production
2009-2010 (Estimated)
Production 2015-2016
(Projected) District
Total
fish
Pangas Tilapia Pangas Tilapia Pangas Tilapia
Noakhali 12332 35811 669.7 548.2 1,370 1,890 2055 2835 B. baria 8326 28215 2040.0 829.5 4,480 2,750 6720 4125 Chandpur* 3,000 5000
Total 20658 64026 2709.7 1377.7 5,850 7,640 8775 11,960
* production through cage farming alone, faring area is not shown.
Table 26, shows that only two districts in the division out of 8 districts has significant
amount of area under pangas and tilapia farming. However, out of two districts, Dinajpur
has higher farming areas and higher production compared those with Gaibandha. Te
northern part of Bangladesh that comprise newly formed division of Rangpur is
reportedly short fish supply areas in the country and bulk of pangas produced in Bogra
districts reportedly goes to districts in Rangpur division. Some key informant reported
that Rangpur division has more prospects of pangas and tilapia farming as the districts in
81
the division is mostly placed on flood-free zone and land prices in these districts are
reportedly cheap compared to other districts.
Table 26: District-wise pond based pangas and tilapia production in Rangpur Division
Pond
area
(ha)
Production
2008-2009 (ton)
Production
2009-2010 (Estimated)
Production 2015-2016
(Projected) District
Total
fish
Pangas Tilapia Pangas Tilapia Pangas Tilapia
Dinajpur 10662 33659 905.4 818.0 1,620 3,180 2430 4770 Gaibandha 1844 5980 208.1 141.1 710 960 1065 1440
Total 12506 39639 1113.5 959.1 2,330 4,140 3495 6210
Khulna division harbour biggest fish seed market place in the country but the market
place is mainly trade carp seeds of both local and exotic species. Anyway, three districts
of the division produced roughly little over five thousand tons of pangas and nearly 8
thousand tons of tilapia as shown in Table 27.
Table 27: District-wise pond based pangas and tilapia production in Khulna Division Pond
area
(ha)
Production
2008-2009 (ton)
Production
2009-2010 (Estimated)
Production 2015-2016
(Projected) District
Total
fish
Pangas Tilapia Pangas Tilapia Pangas Tilapia
Jessore 6797 24761 463.0 996.4 1,650 3,200 2475 4800 Satkhira 3180 9008 736.9 1153.0 2,900 3,180 4350 4770 Jhenaidah 5011 16578 94.5 172.4 705 1,480 1057.5 2220
Total 14988 50347 1294.4 2321.8 5,255 7,860 7882.5 11790
The production figure of pangas and tilapia in Sylhet division are shown in Table 24.
Among seven divisions in the country, only Barisal division so far reported to produce
negligible amount of pangas and tilapia productions. Among other 6 divisions, Sylhet
produces lowest amount of pangas and tilapia as shown in Table 28. There are 4 districts
in Sylhet division and out of these 4 only 2 districts have notable pangas and tilapia
farming. Sylhet division is famous for natural/wild fresh water fish production from
natural depressions popularly known as hoars and wild fish are more favoured Sylhet
compared to other divisions in the country.
Table 28: District-wise pond based pangas and tilapia production in Sylhet Division
82
Pond area
(ha)
Production
2008-2009 (ton)
Production
2009-2010
(Estimated)
Production 2015-
2016
(Projected)
District
Total
fish
Pangas Tilapia Pangas Tilapia Pangas Tilapia
Hobigonj 3441 9087 673.3 357.1 1,295 1,495 1942.5 2243 Moulvi
Bazar
4234 11139 245.1 245.2 1,470 1,120
2205 1680
Total 7675 20226 918.4 602.3 2,765 2,615 4147.5 3923
As mentioned earlier, pangas and tilapia are exotic species and total biomass production
from these two species are actually comes from farming, unlike most of other farming
species where both wild and cultured stocks makes the landing. Besides, high density fish
farming in the country is practiced using pangas and tilapia. And in most cases the
farming of these two species is done with supplemental feeds. Initially, home made mash
feeds were popular due to its cost-effectiveness in low to mid density farming. However,
farmers reportedly soon learned that in high density farming use of mash feed crates more
water population and it causes diseases and currently, most farmers practicing high
density farming uses commercial dry pellet of factory manufactured. The study found
that roughly 30 commercial pellet feeds in the country is consumed by farmed tilapia and
that of pangas consumes approximately over 60% of dry pellet feeds. Therefore, it was
relatively easier to quantify total amount of pangas and tilapia biomass produced in the
country based of production and sale of factory based dry pellets for fish and shrimp.
Table 29 shows estimated biomass production of pangas and tilapia in the country based
on feed consumed in the country during 2009-2010.
Table 29. Projected production of Pangas and Tilapia based on consumption of feed
%
Consumption
Amount
(ton)
Expected
FCR
Expected
biomass
(ton)
Total milled pellet feed
produced in 2009-2010 100% 568,370 1.8 :1 315,761
Estimated consumption by
pangas 63% 358,073 1.8 :1 198,930
Estimated consumption by
tilapia 26% 95,776 1.8 :1 53,209
Other aquaculture farmed
animal consumed 11% 62,521 1.8 :1 34,734
As mentioned earlier, initially monoculture of pangas got popularity in the country when
the species was first introduced in the country as farmed species. However, farmers soon
83
discovered that introduction of plankton feeding herbivore fish like carps and tilapia may
control excessive growth of planktons and as they will strain plankton from culture water
and will grow using plankton as its energy source. Therefore, commercial pangas
farming currently uses pangas and mono-sex tilapia and other carp species as companion
crop. The mixed farming of pangas and other specie/s performs two important tasks, it
increases production of fish biomass without extra spending and companion species with
pangas acts sweeper fish that clean excessive plankton growth. This combination truly
acts as symbiotic where pangas gets clean environment due to cleaning by tilapia and/or
carps and carps get plankton grown due to left over feed and excreta of pangas
decompose to mineralize and enhance plankton growth.
7.6.2. Monoculture of Tilapia
Tilapia is categorized as a small fish in Bangladesh compared to carps and pangas. The
fish has a market sizes ranging from 2-10 making a kg. The species specially those of
Nile, GIFT and mono-sex varieties has a short grow-out phase making it a suitable
farming species in seasonal water bodies and harvesting more than one crop per year. As
mentioned earlier, Bangladesh has no market sizes for fish in general or species wise, so
tilapia as small as 10-15g has markets. However, fish 100-500g are often sold in
markets. Usual grow-out of tilapia with or without nursing usually lasts 3-6 months.
Some farmer’s stock tilapia seeds directly to grow-out ponds and harvest the market sized
fish for many years as tilapia breeds and produces baby tilapia in grow-outs. These types
of farming usually done in house-hold based small ponds often mixed with other fresh
water farming species.
84
Fig. 47. Sampling in a high density GIFT tilapia farming (in a pond of
beneficiary member of a PRICE partner in Jamalpur)
Tilapia farming unlike carps and pangas are of different types. Small farmers usually
stock bisexual individuals of either red, Nile, GIFT varieties with or without mixing with
other fresh water non-carnivore farming species. In stocking so, farmers usually go for
continuous harvesting of market sized fish by selective netting so that small sized
individuals may escape the mesh and grow faster in absence of larger individuals. In this
types of farming, no new seeds are required as bisexual tilapia produces many babies to
replace the harvested stocks. In this types of farming farmers seldom drain farming water
and farming continues for years. Since low cost supplementary feeds are used annul
yields are not significant. Planned farming using bisexual tilapia is difficult as population
in farming pond/s is difficult to estimate to take necessary farming management
initiatives. Fig. 47 shows farmers sampling the raised tilapia from a pond to determine the
marketable sizes.
Besides the bisexual tilapia farming, in recent year’s mono-sex tilapia farming is getting
popularity and momentum. The reasons behind the popularity of mono-sex farming are
that high density /semi-intensive farming of mono-sex is possible due to non-appearances
of babies in farming. Moreover, mono-sex farming ensures almost identical sized fish in
85
a stock and it is easier to determine feed rations for a farmed stock and predictable
harvest period may be ascertained. If judiciously executed, mono-sex farming can ensure
more than one crop per year. Introduction of floating feeds in mono-sex tilapia farming
reduced the danger of over feeding and water pollution. Besides, it encouraging
introduction of cage farming in open water. The initiative (cage farming of tilapia) is still
small, but sign are there is that the important economic activity may become popular in
coming years as changes in climatic conditions and rise of sea level will make easy cage
farming in open water system in Bangladesh. .
Initially during early 1950s when tilapia was introduced in Bangladesh, culture of tilapia
got early enthusiasm due to its ability to produce seeds in captivity, specifically in pond
ecosystem. However the early popularity of tilapia soon disappeared as it was producing
many mouths but less flesh. However, at that time supplemental feeding to fish was
unknown, high yield from a unit area was not envisaged and farmers used to fertilize
ponds for plankton growth and hoped that foods naturally grown in fish ponds will allow
higher production.
7.6.3. Poly/mixed culture of Pangas and Tilapia (Grow-out)
As mentioned earlier, pangas mostly farmed on supplemental feeding in Bangladesh and
elsewhere. They hardly fed on natural foods except during fry stages. On the other hand,
tilapia is an omnivore species that feds on both natural feed of animal and plant origin
together with supplemental feeds. In high density pangas farming, excessive growth of
plankton occurs due to fertilization and use of supplemental feeds. Soon, farmers
discovered that mono-culture of pangas creates heavy plankton bloom that since they are
not utilized by pangas it drops to the bottom completing its life cycle for about a week.
The dropping of dead plankton to bottom of pond pollutes water and release of minerals
by decomposition of dead plankton again creates an environment that allows more phyto-
plankton to grow. Fig. 48 shows a mixed farming of tilapia and carps with supplemental
feeding. Fig. 49 shows a high density tilapia and pangas farming.
86
Fig. 48. A high density tilapia and carp farming (a pond of a beneficiary of a
PRICE partner at Bhaluka, Mymensingh)
Fig. 49. High density pangas and tilapia farming together (same as above)
As mentioned earlier, high density pangas and tilapia farming is getting popularity
among the farmers as the method of farming has turned into a somewhat symbiotic in
nature. Some key respondents informed the author that excessive use of supplemental
feeding in pangas farming creates huge amount of plankton foods those remain unutilized
87
as pangas can’t graze like tilapia or carps. Introduction of tilapia in high density farming
helps tilapia biomass production with live foods and also helps pangas with clean water
as tilapia reportedly decrease plankton population as well as suspended solids. Initial
attempt of mono-culture of panags and tilapia under high density reportedly encountered
some management problem as mentioned above and then farmers switched from mono to
poly and mixed farming methodologies.
Farmers soon discovered that introduction of plankton feeding herbivore fish like carps
and tilapia may control excessive growth of planktons and as they will strain plankton
from culture water and will grow using plankton as its energy source. Therefore,
commercial pangas farming currently uses pangas and mono-sex tilapia and other carp
species as companion crop. The mixed farming of pangas and other specie/s performs
two important tasks, it increases production of fish biomass without extra spending and
companion species with pangas acts sweeper fish that clean excessive plankton growth.
This combination truly acts as symbiotic where pangas gets clean environment due to
cleaning by tilapia and/or carps and carps get plankton grown due to left over feed and
excreta of pangas decompose to mineralize and enhance plankton growth.
Though fish farmers in the country were used to farm carps for long time but mostly
practicing low density natural food based farming. However, introduction of pangas and
tilapia has changed the farming pattern in some parts of the country. Some key
respondent reported that pangs farming is most easy among the fish farming and planned
farming of tilapia using mono-sex strain is also easy. The result of a random survey on
pangas and tilapia are present in Table 30. As shown in the Table 30, predominantly
majority of respondent replied that panags is easiest species to farm. Tilapia also received
comparatively better marks compared to carp farming.
Table 30. Farmer’s Response on Farming of Pangas and Tilapia
Pangas Tilapia Local
Carp
Exotic
carp
Climbing
perch
Stinging
Catfish
Easy Farming
Methods with feed 91 25 22 21 45 23
Good growth in
new ponds with
feed
85 28 10 13 43 34
Good species for a
starter 74 10 12 14 19 13
88
7.7. Feed Sources
Aquaculture in Bangladesh initially started with liming and fertilization to enhance
natural foods in pond eco-system and mostly carps and tilapia like fishes were favourite
farming species. Understandably, yields were poor and some farmers soon learned that
using supplemental feeds indeed help to get more biomass from a unit water body and
started used home made feeds. Mash type home made feeds usually prepared by rice and
wheat bran and occasionally incorporating soybean meal and fish meal was initial
supplemental feeds used by fish farmers in the country. Fig 50 shows a aquaculture feed
factory stored manufactured feeds for marketing.
Fig. 50. Many factories manufactured dry pellet feeds for pangas and tilapia
Based on the success of supplemental mash feed to improve yield in aquaculture farms,
some poultry feed company started producing pellet feeds for fish farming (poultry
farming with dry pellet started in Bangladesh earlier than fish pellet). The commercial
manufacture of dry pellet feed for fish got momentum when pangas was introduced in the
country. Pangas is only commercial farmed fish in Bangladesh that depends 100% on
supplemental feeds. Natural foods produced in pond ecosystem do not provide any food
items for pangas as the species does not eat plankton (suspended live food), benthos
(bottom growing live food) or a detritus (non-living organic particles). Pangas feeds on
rotten organic matters or may be termed as scavenger on dead animals. It is said that to a
beginner pangas is most ideal fish for a fish farmer as its can be cultured in a newly
constructed pond with supplemental feeds without much care and farming management.
89
Table 31 shows total number of aquaculture feed factories in the country and types o
commercial feeds they produce. It was found that there are 56 feed factories in the
country those produce significant amount of dry pellet feeds for fish and shrimp. It was
reported that in 2009-2010, total production of commercial aquaculture pellet feed was
5,68,000 ton of which roughly 115 was floating and rest of the feeds are sinking type
pellets. It was reported that 100% floating feeds are used for panags and tilapia farming
and most of sinking pellet is also used as pangas and tilapia feed. The feed factories are
mostly situated in Dhaka division from where sacs/packets of feed are distributed in areas
where panags and tilapia farming are concentrated. Fig. 51 shows a lot of manufactured
feeds await shipments to marketing channels.
Table 31. Factory based Aquaculture Feed/s Production & Sale sales in 2010
Total Sinking Pellet Floating Pellet
Factory in operation (#) 56 56 6
Fish Feed manufacturing (#) 56 56 6
Shrimp Feed manufacturing (#) 17 17 -
Total production (ton) 5,68,370 4,67,370 62,000
Fig. 51. Aquaculture feeds awaits shipment to agents and dealers for marketing
Table 32. Shrimp and Fish Feed Production & Sale sales in 2010
Total Production
(ton)
Shrimp Fish
5,29,370 24,700 5,43,617
90
Sinking 4,67,370 24,700 4,42,670
Floating 62,000 - 62,000
It was found that roughly 5% of all produced pellet feeds are used as supplemental feeds
for shrimps as shown in Table 32. No floating feed is used for shrimp faming as it was
reported that shrimp lives in bottom of farming water and usually does not come to
surface for feeding.
7.7.1. Supplemental Feed for Pangas
As mentioned earlier, pangas is a voracious eater and solely depend on supplemental
feeds in captivity. Some farmers mentioned that pangas is an ideal species to start
aquaculture by a non-professional (some pangas farmer in Mymensingh area mentioned
that pangas may be cultured by a dull guy).
A newly constructed pond can be used to farm pangas with supplemental feeds.
Introduction of pangas in late 1980s in Bangladesh initiated manufacturing of dry sinking
pellet in the country. It may be mentioned that pellet feed first introduced in the country
for poultry birds, and then poultry feed millers started manufacturing fish specifically
pangas feed in the country using little extra binders to poultry feeds without changing too
many in compositions. Deliberate attempts were made to market the fish feed cost-
effectively. Similar feeds were also sold as carp and tilapia feeds.
Now more than 20 medium and large feed companies are manufacturing and marketing
pangas feeds in the country. While talked to feed agents and dealers they said (on
condition that they should not be named) that composition of pangas, tilapia or carp feeds
does not vary significantly, instead packaging is done mentioning the brand for certain
species. When talked to some feed nutritionist they also claimed that laboratory analysis
very often indicates different brand of supplemental feeds probably incorporate same or
similar ingredients with similar ratio for most of the farmed species of fish.
7.7.2. Supplemental Feed for Tilapia
91
Unlike pangas tilapia is a omnivore species and can solely depend on planktonic feeds
when density in farming is low or solely depend on supplemental feeds in captivity or in
cages or may be raised mixed under planktonic feed and supplemental feeds. Most
farmers are in Bangladesh are confident to farm tilapia of various origin. A newly
constructed pond is not suitable for tilapia farming as new ponds easily become turbid
and prevents plankton growth. Introduction of mono-sex tilapia in late 1990s in
Bangladesh initiated manufacturing of dry sinking pellet as well as floating pellet feeds in
the country.
Feed millers started manufacturing fish specifically pangas feed in the country and
pangas feed without changing its compositions were modelled as tilapia feeds. Pangas,
carps and tilapia fed in Bangladesh is not very different in composition and percentage of
crude protein contents. Now more than 20 medium and large feed companies are
manufacturing and marketing pangas and tilapia feeds in the country.
Fig. 52. Home made feed use to a high density pangas and tilapia farming
Initially, use of supplemental feeding started with mash type feeds where farmers used to
mix suitable ingredients and feeding directly those to ponds with a belief that fish will
eat everything provided. However, specialist says that part of the mash feeds actually
disintegrate in pond water after its administration and remains out of touch of the animal
for which it is given and ends up as fertilizer. In relatively low density panags ad tilapia
92
farming mash feed reportedly assist for relatively high productivity as tilapia reportedly
strains some suspended solids those actually comes from disintegrated feed /feed
particles. However, specialist suggests that in high density /semi-intensive farming dry
pellet of sinking or floating types should be used.
Table - 33. Division-wise Feed Mills and Turn-over (Dhaka Division) Sl No. Name of Feed Mills District Total Sales
( MT )
Floating
Feeds
(MT)
Shrimp
Feed
( MT )
1 Suadi Bangla Fish Feed Ltd. Bhaluka Mymensingh 33,000 1000
2 Sunny Feeds Ltd, Bhaluka, Mymensingh 5,000 1500
3 BRAC Feeds, Bhaluka, Mymensingh 10000
4 Excel Feeds, Trisal, Mymensingh 3000
5 Talukder feeds, Bhaluka, Mymensingh 4000
6 Jamjam Feeds, Bhaluka, Mymensingh 3800
7 Surjavita Feeds Ltd, Bhaluka, Mymensingh 4000
8 Al Fallaha( Shusumo ) Feeds, Trisal, Mymensingh 15000
9 Premium Fish Feeds, Muktagacha Mymensingh 2000
10 Trisal Fish Feeds, Trisal, Mymensingh 1200
11 Naris Feeds Ltd, Bhaluka, Mym & G. pur 4500
12 SMS Feeds Ltd, Mauna, Gazipur 7,000 200
13 Neo Hope, Sreepur, Gazipur 22,000
14 Paragon Feeds- Gazipur 16,000
15 Rahat Feeds Ltd, Muktagacha Gazipur 7000
16 Bay Agro Ltd, Gazipur 2000
17 Mono Feeds, Gazipur 6000
18 Solid Feeds Ltd, Gazipur 6000
19 Lion Feeds, Gazipur Gazipur 4000
20 Bay Agro Ltd, Gazipur Gazipur 2000
21 Biswas Feeds, Gazipur Gazipur 38000
22 Elia Feeds, Gazipur Gazipur 1200
23 Lion Feeds, Gazipur Gazipur 3200
24 Lucky Feeds, Gazipur Gazipur 3000
25 AIT feeds Ltd, Gazipur, 20000
26 Sumaya Feeds, Gazipur 4500
27 Sulbon Feeds, Gazipur -
28 National Feeds, Gazipur 20000 7000 1000
29 Power Fish feed, Gazipur 3000
30 Sabuj Bangla Fish Feeds, Gazipur 2500
31 SGS Feeds, Gazipur 6000
32 Mass Feeds Ltd, Gazipur 12000
33 Advance Feeds ltd, Gazipur 4000
34 Quality Feeds Gazipur 95,000 5,000
35 Rupshi Feeds, Norshindi 5500
36 SB Feeds Ltd., Norshindi 8000
37 Usha Feeds- Savar, Dhaka 30,000 2500
38 Aftab Feeds Ltd, 2 units Narayangong 30000 36000
39 Spectra Hexa ( Mega feeds ), Manikgong 45000
Total 488,400 45500 8700
93
Fig. 52 shows a mash feed supplements to culture ponds. There are 56 feed mills in the
country those manufactured and marketed feeds in 2009-2010. However, most of the feed
mills are located in Dhaka division.
Table 33, shows feed mills, their locations and total production and marketing of feeds in
2009-2010. This division in fact produces roughly 86% of fish/shrimp feeds in the
country. Individually, Quality Feeds Ltd, a company tops the list followed by Spectra
Hexa with popular brand known as Mega feeds is distant second with less than half of the
front runner.
The Chittagong division has a total of 9 feed mills and combined produces 97,000 ton of
dry pellet where CP tops the list followed by Fresh feeds. Table 34 shows the feed mills
in Chittagong division and their locations ion districts.
Table 34. Division-wise Feed Mills and Turn-over (Chittagong Division)
The feeds mills manufacturing pellet feeds for fish in Rajshahi division are shown in
Table 35. As shown in the table (Table 31), no fed mills in the division produces floating
feeds or shrimp feeds all they manufacture is sinking fish feeds. The leading
manufacturer in the division is ACI Feeds Ltd., followed by Quality feeds those who
have a plant in Bogra besides plant in Gazipur in Dhaka division.
Table 35. Division-wise Feed Mills and Turn-over (Rajshahi Division)
Sl No. Name of Feed Mills District Total Sales
( MT )
Floating
Feeds
(MT)
Shrimp
Feed
( MT )
1 ACI Feeds Ltd, Sirajgonj 33,000
2 Aman Feed Ltd, Ullapara Pabna 18,000
Sl No. Name of Feed Mills District Total Sales
( MT )
Floating
Feeds
(MT)
Shrimp
Feed
( MT )
1 Euro Feeds Ltd, Sitakundo, Chittagong 7000
2 CP Bangladesh Chittagong 34,000
3 Provati Feeds, Comilla 4000
4 Niribili Feeds, Cox,s Bazer 8000
5 Fresh Feeds, Comilla 20000 1000
6 Aga feeds, Chittagong 5000
7 A. K. Feeds ltd, Noakhali 3000
8 City Group, Comilla 9000
9 Usha Feed Chittagong 7,000
Total 97,000 1000
94
3 Tamim Feeds Ltd,
Shajahanpur,
Bogra 15000
4 Quality Feeds Bogra 25,000
5 Ekniz Feeds, Bogra 2000
6 Mondol feeds, Joypurhat 6000
Total 99,000
Table 36 shows fish/shrimp feed mills in the Khulna division. There are 4 feed mills in
Khulna division those were operational during 2009-2010. The 4 fed mills in the division
combined produced roughly 17,000 ton of feeds during the reported period. Besides, four
division mentioned above, remaining 3 divisions in Bangladesh does not have any fish
feed mills.
Table 36. Division-wise Feed Mills and Turn-over (Khulna Division)
7.8. Survival (endurance) of Pangas and Tilapia as Farmed Species
As mentioned earlier pangas is an ideal species for farming by a beginner. This is due to
the fact that pangas is one of the hardiest farmed fish in Bangladesh. They survive
almost 100% even in abused farming methods. The species survive in environment with
shortage of dissolve oxygen (DO) through gulping and it is said that pangas makes so
mush movement in farmed water that DO shortage seldom occurs. Their movement in
farm water make agitation and that helps aerial oxygen to dissolve in water. Pangas grow
very rapidly when adequate quality grade supplemental feeds are administered. However,
they can endure without supplemental feeds for months without any growth in body
Sl No. Name of Feed Mills District Total
Sales
( MT )
Floating
Feeds
(MT)
Shrimp
Feed
( MT )
1 Usha Feed Jessore 7,000
2 Satkhira Feeds, Khulna 2,970 1500
3 Bismillaha Feeds, Bagerhat 6000 4000
4 Jamuna Feeds, Jessore 1000 500
Total 16,970 6000
95
weight.
Pangas also suffers less disease compared to other farmed fish. Besides, predation by
carnivore fish or other aquatic predators like frog, snakes, and lizards are extremely few
as the species posses two lateral and one vertical strong and hard spine and prevent
predator to swallow it. They are vulnerable only to predatory by fish eating birds that do
not swallow.
On the other hand, tilapia as farmed species is considered more delicate than pangas as
the species can cause mass mortality due to DO shortage, disease or still unknown
reasons. In ideal culture conditions survival rate of tilapia is reportedly excellent. The
stocking of bisexual tilapia increase total fish population in farm uncontrolled and
currently farmers in Bangladesh switching towards mono-sex tilapia farming.
7.8. Disease
Disease outbreak in Bangladesh during mid 1980s alerted aqua-farmers and farmers are
now concerned for fish disease. Outbreak of Epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS), also
known as red spot disease, has affected more than 100 different species of fish world
wide. It primarily affects fresh water fish, but can also strike brackish water fish. EUS
ranges from mild to severe and has a destructive impact on younger fish populations. If
an outbreak is not contained, it can have a devastating impact on the fishing industry.
Outbreak of epizootic ulcerative syndrome have occurred in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao,
Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Nepal, New South Wales, the Philippines, Queensland,
Thailand and Western Australia. Fish affected by red spot disease reside in fresh water
areas, such as ponds, lakes and streams. While not as common, outbreaks of the
syndrome have occurred in bodies’ brackish water.
7.8.1. Affected Species
Chinese carp and tilapia seem to be resistant to EUS, but many other species of fresh
water fish appear to be highly susceptible to the disease. Archer fish, barramundi,
gourami, chanda perch, spangled perch, fork-tailed catfish, mangrove jack, mullet, red
scat, Saratoga, rainbow fish, snakeheads and striped gunter fish are a few of the species
of fish known to be susceptible to red spot disease. However, pangas was reportedly
affected by the disease in certain areas of Bangladesh. Independent observer was not
found who can claim with certainty that indeed, pangas suffers from EU disease.
96
7.8.2. Cause
A pathogenic fungus causes red spot disease. The pathogenic fungus is Aphanomyces
invadans. A fish becomes infected when the fungi attaches to a scale. Once attached to
the scales, the fungi spores begin to multiply. The multiplying spores spread to
surrounding scales and begin to work their way through the fish scales. The spores
continue to multiply and break through the skin and into the muscle of the diseased fish.
7.8.3. Identification
A diseased fish will have a noticeable red spot on its scales. Red spot disease spreads and
produces a noticeable red patch on the body of the fish. The spot may also appear to look
like a dark burn mark. As EUS progresses, the red spot will become ulcerated. Loss of
scales, raw skin and muscle tissue will become noticeably visible. In advanced cases, the
ulcerated area may extend into the abdominal cavity.
7.8.4. Prevention/Solution
To prevent a widespread outbreak of red spot disease, do not move diseased fish to a
different body of water. A solution of antiseptic iodophor effectively treats captive fish.
Remove diseased fish from the water. Increasing the salinity of the water may help
suppress minor outbreaks of EUS.
7.9. Risk Factors associated with Pangas & Tilapia farming
Risks associated with pangas and tilapia farming other than disease and pollution is price
fluctuation. Since both pangas and tilapia farming in Bangladesh has got certain degree of
intensifications it needs considerable investments in feeds and farming managements.
Unlike traditional and improved traditional ways of farming, in semi-intensive farming
profit margin is less in terms of kg based production, but high yield off-set the profit
margin. However drop in price or slide in demand causes problems for farmers who need
cash to run the farming in cropping series, i.e., selling fish in one pond helps to finance
for feeds in other ponds in rising. Though keeping pangas and tilapia for couple of days
in grow-out ponds are not expensive but prolong market gluts may ruin the farmers and
farming.
Besides marketing problems, main risk associated with pangas and tilapia farming is
natural disasters, like floods, cyclone and heavy torrential rains. These natural calamities
don’t kill the fish but helps them to escape outside of ponds. Once farmed fish is outside
of its embankments it become community property and anybody can fish it.
97
7.10. Farming Approaches Adopted
Fisheries and aquaculture in Bangladesh is very talked and discussed topics, people know
historical prospective of role of fisheries and aquaculture as main source of animal
protein suppliers to masses. However, very little data or information is available on
transformation of fish farming in Bangladesh in last few decades. This study has tried to
take a fair outlook of tilapia and pangas farming, its approaches and development both in
farming and marketing in Bangladesh.
The author had little prior knowledge on fish farming though had some experiences on
marketing. Prior knowledge on tilapia and pangas farming was considered as of little
importance for the study and considered as good for impartial review of the current status
and future potential of the market of these two important farming fish species,
incidentally both are exotic species to Bangladesh. There is strong objections o
introduction of exotics species to Bangladesh by certain quarters especially among
academic circles without doing prior studies on their adoptability in Bangladesh eco-
system. However, good growth of tilapia and pangas in Bangladesh farms indicates its
suitability as farming species under Bangladesh conditions as well as general masses has
accepted theses species as food fish. There is/was no consumer’s backlash to pangas or
tilapia in recent years, though pangas price slide in recent years was partially due to bad
smell in farmed fish for over-feeding fish before harvest and partially due to bas rumors
by certain quarters that also has base on bad smell. Nothing is due to its source of origin.
Some stakeholders and key respondents remarked that they are surprised due to rapid
expansion and increased market by farmed pangas and tilapia in Bangladesh. It is clear
that economics is the prime reason behind the expansion of farming of these species.
The farming of pangas and tilapia in Bangladesh has developed following approaches:
• Slide in fish landing in the country from wild/ natural sources that pushed public
sector initially to popularize fish farming with traditionally known farmed species
specially with local/indigenous carps
98
• To increase biomass production from unit water area fish species known to thrive
on planktonic an phyto-planktonic feeds and known to depend on vegetative feeds
exotic carps from south-east Asia popularly known as Chinese carps were
introduced as farmed fish.
• Since indigenous Indian major carps and exotic Chinese carps are mainly cultured
in relatively larger ponds/closed water bodies, tilapia was considered as small fish
suitable to farm in small water bodies and season waters. However, tilapia in
recent years got popularity as prized farmed fish.
• Pangas initially was introduced in the country as a delicacy comparable to local
riverine pangas, however, soon the so called Thai pangas has become a low cost
farmed fish.
• Currently both pangas and tilapia are commercially farmed under mixed culture
and has become first semi- intensive fish farming in the country.
• It was observed that some mixed culture farm in Mymensingh and Bogra (PRICE
partner) raises pangas and tilapia together and reportedly producing as much as
50-80 ton of biomass per annum.
7.11. Production
Total production of fish in the country is reportedly 2.85 million ton from both wild and
farms in fresh, brackish and marine sources. It is clamed that roughly 50% of all fish
produced in the country are coming from diverse types of farming. The government
records on species-wise farmed fish is fragmentary as shown in Table 1. However, the
study indicated that farming share of both pangas and tilapia is rapidly increasing.
Farmed pangas (almost 99% pangas traded in the country are indeed farmed origin and
are those of so called Thai pangas.) has not penetrated all geographical location in the
country. However, farmed tilapia is available all markets in Bangladesh in all
geographical locations. The current country-wide pangas production is roughly 263,000
ton and that of tilapia is 67,000 ton (Table 19A), mostly in Bogra (Fig. 53A) and other
districts.
99
Fig. 53A. Tilapia sampling in high density pond in Bogra (in a
pond of beneficiary member of a PRICE partner)
All available information suggest that production of pangas and tilapia is going to occupy
more market shares in coming years as seed production of these two important farmed
species is relatively easy. Also, pangas has very high fecundity (egg laying ability) and
tilapia is able to produced seeds several times in year and their parental care is
remarkable that ensures high degree of survival even in wild environment.
7.12. Post harvest treatment
Pangas and tilapia are two fast growing farming species in Bangladesh and their
productions are mostly concentrated in some geographical areas like greater Mymensingh
and greater Bogra districts. Pangas is mostly traded in plastic containers with water under
live conditions and tilapia is usually traded with ice under chilled conditions. Since these
species are produced in bulk in limited geographical areas their accumulation and
transport is relatively easy and less post harvest treatments are necessary.
7.12.1. Pangas
100
The Thai pangas is considered as a very hardy fish and in farming conditions their
survival rates are reportedly very high. The species is reported to survive long time after
harvest in a little water. Its ability to survive after harvest created a new business
opportunity in Bangladesh where pangas trade live is a lucrative business.
It was also observed during the study most of the pangas in retail markets are still alive.
The traders reported that they usually purchase from pangas supplier those who carry live
pangas in big plastic drums with little water in open trucks. It was reported that pangas
after harvest can survive as long as 48 hours in plastic drums on trucks. Fig. 53 shows an
usual live pangas transport by trucks in plastic drums. Therefore, no post harvest
treatment is necessary for live pangas trade in Bangladesh. However, small amount of
dead pangas are iced and traded but fetch less prices compared to live specimens.
Fig. 53B. Transportation of live pangas with water in plastic containers
101
Fig. 54. Transportation of tilapia with ice in insulated container
7.12.2. Tilapia
Unlike pangas tilapia does not survive long after harvest; however they survive relatively
longer than most of the carp species after harvest. In Bangladesh tilapia like all other
farmed fish are usually traded in rural/village markets without chilling or icing. Fig. 54
shows chilled tilapia after reaching auction house. Small amount of tilapia harvested from
small ponds are usually ends-up in village or farm adjacent markets. Only the bulk
Tilapia producers sells their stuffs to auction houses. Also, accumulators often collect
harvested tilapia and pooled those to auction house popularly known as aratders. In any
case, no tilapia is freezed in Bangladesh, if it is not destined for export purposes.
7.13. Supply Chain
7.13.1. Pangas
Supply chain of pangas in Bangladesh is more prominent compared those of tilapia. Two
regions in the country, Mymensingh and Bogra where most pangas are grown are usually
traded in live conditions. Reportedly, most farmed pangas are harvested during afternoon
to evening to facilitate easy transportation during nights to large whole sale markets in
102
the large towns and cities.
The transporters usually come with truck loaded with water in plastic drums, if possible
upto farm gates. There are even commercial water suppliers with tube-well and pumps
there truck loaded with plastic drums receive water like steam engine of railways. Then,
harvested live pangas are quickly weighed and released to water in plastic drums. Then
trucks moves to its destinations with live pangas.
However, small farmers usually sell their raised pangas fish to local/village markets often
in live conditions without water as pangas can survive several hours without water,
though these species are not air breathing species. Fig. 55 shows farmed pangas just
before harvest and Fig 56 shows pangas are carried away from ponds to weighing centres
for shipment
Fig. 55. Pangas are geared to a corner of farming pond using seine net (in a
pond of beneficiary member of a PRICE partner in Trisal, Mymensingh )
.
103
Fig. 56. Pangas are taken from farming pond using bamboo baskets (in a
pond of beneficiary member of a PRICE partner)
7.13.2. Tilapia
Tilapia supply chain in Bangladesh is typically similar to those of carps and other
wild/open water fishes. Harvested fish if not in significant amount is usually ends up in
local/village markets or adjacent areas of farms or even at farm-gates. If, the harvested
biomass is of significant amount the farmers or accumulators usually carry those to
directly to aratders where the tilapia is auctioned, iced and packed in traditional insulated
boxes made of woods or bamboo baskets. Then the fish are transported to tow or city
markets where these fish are gain auctioned, goes to retailers and ultimately goes to
consumers.
7.14. Marketing
Both pangas and tilapia as farmed species are usually retailed in traditional fish markets
in Bangladesh. Consumers in the country usually purchase whole fish in retail markets
and carry those to households where these are cut processed for cooking. No value
104
addition for pangas and tilapia is usually done in local markets, except slicing the fish in
retail markets through the retailers or professional fish cutters who usually makes slices
of fish according to customer’s choice. Dhaka is the biggest fish market in the country
and reportedly it is one of the biggest among three big fish market in the world (Some
fisheries scientist claims that Dhaka is biggest fish market in the world.). Anyway, Dhaka
city with an estimated population of 15 to 16 million gets its supply of fish through 8
whole sale fish markets. The estimated pangas and tilapia landing in whole sale markets
in Dhaka are presented in Table 37. Through this study, it indicated that 16.4% of panags
and tilapia produced in the country ended in fish markets in Dhaka.
Table 37: Pangas and Tilapia Landings in whole Sale Markets in Dhaka
Total production of panags and tilapia in 2009-2010 was 330,485 ton (Table 22) and
combined sale of pangas and tilapia in Dhaka markets are 54,040 ton (Table 37).
Kawa
ran
Bazar
Jetra-
bari
Sowa
ri-
ghat
Abdul-
lapur
Mugda
New
market
Ram-
pura
Merul
Buddah
Total
Daily
(ton)
20.5 17.5 15.3 13.5 12.1 11.5 10.2 7.5
108.1
Pangas
Yearly
(ton)
6150 5,350 4,590 4,050 3,630 3,450 3,060 2,250
32,530
Daily
(ton)
19.5 11.0 8.9 7.8 6.9 6.5 5.6 5.5
71.7
Tilapia
Yearly
(ton)
5,850 3,300 2,670 2,340 2,070 1,950 1,680 1,650
21,510
105
Fig. 57. A whole sale market of Pangas
Fig. 58. A whole sale market of Pangas
A survey in a few whole sale and retail markets in Dhaka showed almost uniform prices
for pangas and tilapia as shown in Table 38. The price difference in whole sale and retail
markets are roughly 20-25%. Though the price differences within the city between whole
106
sale and retail appears high but it was learned that manual transportation and small
amount of retail by fish sellers increases the price of fish.
Table 38: Average whole sale a retail prices of Pangas and Tilapia in
major markets in Bangladesh
Kawaran Bazar
BDT/kg
Jetrabari Sowarighat
Whole sale 85-90 85-95 90-95 Pangas
Retail 90-110 90-110 90-110
Whole sale 90-121 85-115 90-110 Tilapia
Retail 110-125 100-125 100-125
7.14. 1. Consumer Perceptions for Pangas and Tilapia
As mentioned earlier, both pangas and tilapia are exotic species and peoples acceptance
to anything unknown take time and if bulk is produced price usually slides. Bangladeshis
are habituated of eating wild fishes and aquaculture has changed the eating habit of
people especially in urban areas mostly because landing of wild/natural fishes are steadily
declining. Among the farmed or cultured fish, known species like indigenous carps ranks
high among the consumers. When cross-section of buyers in retailed markets were
interviewed, the following facts were discovered as shown in Table 35.
Familiarity of tilapia among the consumers is combatively high as the species was
introduced earlier and visible amount of fish started entering markets since 1970. On the
other hand, familiarity with pangas and high yielding GIFT/mono-sex tilapia is
comparatively less as the fishes entered markets late compared with common tilapia.
When asked whether they buy tilapia frequently, only 20% answered affirmatively in
case of pangas it was only 8%. However, vast majority of the respondent answered that
both pangs and tilapia are cost-effective fish. Most of surveyed respondents answered
that in Bangladesh diets % of both tilapia and pangas will increase in future.
Overwhelming percentages of respondents agreed that poor in future will consume more
pangas
Table 39: Consumer’s Perception on Tilapia and Pangas as Table fish (figure in
Parenthesis indicates fish introduced in the country)
107
Year Yes No Yes No
Familiarity, tilapia
as food fish
65%
(1970)
Frequently
buy tilapia
20% 80% Tilapia share in
diet will
increase
75% 25%
Familiarity, pangas
as food fish
47%
(1995) Frequently
buy Pangas
8% 92% Pangas share in
diet will
increase
65% 35%
Familiarity, GIFT/
mono-sex as food
fish
53%
(2005) Tilapia &
pangas cost-
effective fish
80% 20% Poor will eat
more pangas
90% 10%
The random survey conducted in whole sale and retail markets in Dhaka indicated an
interesting fact. In wholesale markets pangs represented roughly 8% of all fish auctioned
and that of tilapia share was little high (9%). However, in retailed markets it was found
that representation of panags and tilapia varied from 4-5 and 5-6% (Table 40). When
discussed the matter with retailers they said that a significant amount of fish in retailed
markets enters directly from adjacent areas surrounding Dhaka city. They also opined
that since panags and tilapia usually produced in bulk and transported in bulk by big
traders and ends up in whole sale market whereas small amount of fish caught by
fishermen or accumulators directly comes to retailers.
Table 40. % of Pangas and tilapia in wholesale and retail markets in Dhaka
Pangas Tilapia
Whole sale Market
(%)
8 9
Retail market (%) 4-5 5-6
Both pangas and tilapia are relatively new fish in the country. Pangas is the only species
in the country prices of which reportedly declined in past few years. It was reported that
though inflation pushed prices of most consumables specially the edibles in the country
only panags price slide significantly. However, it is not due to over supply but it
appeared that farmers are now producing pangas more cost effectively and per unit area
production has increased dramatically in recent years lowering down the production cost.
When interviewed most of pangas farmers indicated that their profit margin has declined
and they are switching from pangas farming. However, key respondents reported
increased landing of pangas in successive years.
When asked to consumers who usually buy panags and tilapia, why they buy the species
more than 50% of pangas consumers replied that the fish relatively cheap , followed by
108
12% who replied it contains more flesh. On the other hand, 37% of tilapia consumes
replied they buy the fish due to its cheaper price and 24% replied tilapia sold in markets
compared to other species (but pangas) shows less spoilage (Table 41).
Table 41: General Consumer’s preferences for Tilapia and Pangas
Relatively
cheap
More
flesh
Children
like
Less
spoilage
Delicacy No
other
way
Why you buy
pangas
54 12 11 9 4 10
Why you buy
Tilapia
37 17 9 24 6 7
Through random survey, it was found that in rural areas (self-proclaimed) 49% ultra poor
and 48% poor claimed that they buy panags when they buy any fish. However, rural poor
showed less preference to tilapia than panags, it was probably due to higher price of the
species compared to pangas. The percentage consumers gradually declined with
relatively greater purchasing ability as shown in Table 42 for pangas and gradually
increased for tilapia, except for rich who prefer not eat both the species.
Table 42: Income based Consumer’s preferences for Tilapia and Pangas (Rural area)
Ultra
poor
Poor Lower
middle
class
Upper middle
class
Rich
Normally buying
pangas (%)
49 48
35 20 5
Normally buying
Tilapia (%)
11 17 45 25 15
Similar trend was observed among similar income groups in urban area, however
preferences for pangas increased among urban poor and middle class in urban areas also
showed relatively high degree of acceptances for the species. In case of tilapia, it remains
almost out of reach among urban poor and appeared to be favoured fish among middle
class as shown in Table 43.
109
Table 43: Income based Consumer’s preferences for Tilapia and Pangas (Urban area)
Ultra
poor
Poor Lower
middle
class
Upper middle
class
Rich
Frequently of
buying pangas
65 54 44 27 4
Frequently of
buying Tilapia
7 12 37 29 9
7.14. 2. The Pace of Pangas and Tilapia Farming in Bangladesh
Both Pangas and mono-sex tilapia were introduced in Bangladesh during couples of
decade earlier; panags came first and then GIFT tilapia followed. Introduction of GIFT
variety of tilapia encouraged reproduction of mono-sex tilapia through hatcheries.
Currently, the two species has emerged as fastest growing farmed aquaculture species in
Bangladesh from nowhere when compared to aquaculture of 2- 3 decades back in the
country. The overwhelming majority of respondents identified panags as an exotic
species (80%) when asked a simple question in survey as shown in Table 44. On the
other hand, less than half (45%) identified tilapia as exotics. This was probably due to
early entrance of tilapia in the country.
Table 44: Consumer’s Knowledge about Tilapia and Pangas in urban and rural
areas
Source of origin How it is produced
Local Exotic Don’t
know
Natural Farmed Don’t
know
Consumers
awareness about
pangas
11 80 9 5 91 6
Consumers
awareness about
Tilapia
21 45 34 12 84 4
Exactly, half of respondents (50%) identified GIFT variety of tilapia as normal or natural
110
fish (Table 45), whereas almost even number of respondents identified mono-sex tilapia
as normal or hormone treated. This is a good indication that general consumer’s does not
mind when a species is artificially manipulated to increase its production.
Table 45: Consumer’s Knowledge about fast growing farmed Tilapia
GIFT Mono-Sex
Normal
/Natural
Genetically
manipulated
Don’t
know
Normal/
Natural
Hormone
treated
Don’t
know
Consumers
awareness
about Tilapia
50 12 38 28 24 48
As shown in Table 42, both tilapia and panags showed high degree of freshness while
selling whole without any sort of value additions except keeping them alive (in water
without oxygenation) and putting ice (in case of tilapia without freezing). Most of fish
sold in markets (both farmed and natural other than pangas and tilapia) are reportedly
partially spoil while goes to retail markets. This is probably due to faulty post harvest
handlings and fortunately both panags and tilapia needs less post harvest handling to keep
those fresh.
Table 46: Organoleptic test on freshness of pangas and tilapia in whole sale
and retail markets
Pangas Tilapia
Live Dead Blood
& dart
tinted
Partially
spoiled
Live Dead Blood
& dart
tinted
Partially
spoiled
Whole sale
market (%) 70 30 5 0 0 100 20 2
Retail Market
(%) 60 40 8 0 2 98 20 3
7.15. Value Addition
Value addition of pangas and tilapia is almost absent in Bangladesh. No fish in the
country is usually processed if not exported. Very little amount of farmed pangas and
111
tilapia are exported from the country. While discussed the matters with fish processors, it
was reported that fish from Bangladesh usually goes to ethnic markets (to Bangladeshis
living abroad). It was also reported that ethnic markets abroad has most demands for
natural fish available and harvested from wild. Cultured/farmed fish when exported also
reportedly traded falsely as wild fish. Most Bangladeshi living abroad is well aware that
Thai pangas and tilapia is not available wild and they shun buying these two species
reported by a processor. I local markets, no demand has been crated for yet f ready to
cook or ready to eat fish products. Therefore value addition of pangas and tilapia
restricted to icing only to prolong their freshness for a considerable time. It may be
mentioned that the low cost value addition of fish in Bangladesh is drying. Dry fish
traders reported that neither pangas nor tilapia is used for dry fish manufacturing.
Table 47 shows local consumers responses towards value addition of pangas and tilapia
for local consumers. More than half (53%) of all respondents replied positively when
asked whether they will buy cost-effective snacks (finger foods) made from fish.
Unfortunately majority of respondents are unaware about value added products may be
produced using pangas and tilapia flesh.
Table 47: Local Consumer’s Knowledge about pangas and Tilapia based valued added
products (VAP)
Yes
(%)
No
(%)
No idea (%)
Do you know about edible VAP? 40 25 35
Have you heard that VA fish ball may
be made from pangas?
0 60 40
Have you heard that VA fish ball may
be made from Tilapia?
5 60 45
Did you heard about pangas fillet? 0 30 70
Did you heard about tilapia fillet? 5 40 55
Did you heard about finger foods like
fish and chips?
15 45 40
Will you buy any cost-effective finger
food produced from fish?
53 13 34
7.16. Employment in Pangas and Tilapia Business in Supply/Value
Chain
The expanded farming of both pangas and tilapia also creating economic activities in
112
forward and backward supply chain linkages and becoming important livelihood options
for many people in rural Bangladesh. Currently, pangas and tilapia farming incorporates
medium to large farmers who can afford initial investments for high density farming
demanding huge inputs to raise a crop. Small-scale fish farmers can also participate in
farming of pangas and tilapia for family consumptions as well as for sale. Growth of
pangas and tilapia farming if linked with more competitive commercialised production
may discourage resource-poor farmers. However, resource poor farmers can go for carps
and small sized fish production demands for those species is also increasing and fetching
high prices as well.
If quality grade and high production of pangas and tilapia could be done cost-effectively
under Bangladesh conditions, export of fillet may become a reality. If this is materializes,
in turn it will generate huge job and self-employment opportunities, and economic
activities in rural areas in Bangladesh will provide high economic return/output.
It is expected that urban population in Bangladesh will continue to increase creating
higher demand for lost-cost fish like pangas to poor and low income segment of
population. Similarly middle class population will also expand in urban and rural areas
that will also create demand for medium and high cost fish like tilapia. Therefore, it is
expected that income and employment through pangas and tilapia farming will increase
and sustain in long run if even fillet production and export using pangas and tilapia
doesn’t take place. However, sliding of pangas market is partly due to bad smell
generates in farmed fish by over-feeding of low cost smelled supplemental feedings and
not stop feeding before harvest. Pangas is a voracious eater and whatever fed is applied it
engulfs it. Pangas farmers very often to increase weight of harvested feed over-fed the
fish with supplemental feeds but application of feed before harvest though allow fish to
partially absorb feed in their blood stream but does not helps to assimilate thus creating
bad smell in cooked fish and consumer backlash reduces the price. If proper depuration is
applied, i.e., stop applying supplemental feeds 48-72 hours before harvest then pangas
will be a lucrative fish to consumers. Tilapia is already is getting popularity among
middle class and its prices showing upward trends.
7.17. Profitability in pangas and tilapia farming
Average margins from first sale to consumer are some 16 & 11 % for pangas and tilapia.
There is some evidence much greater margins for some selected fresh water fish and
marine species like hilsa, pomfret and sea bass exits in Bangladesh. Where demand is
113
elastic, with small numbers of buyers, fishers in remote communities harvest fish with
seasonal variations margin of profit may also vary. Conversely, farmers selling to village
markets may only lose around 10-20 % of the final retail price. Apart from remote rural
farming areas, trading margins are usually kept low through competition for raw
materials and inaccessible for larger vehicles like trucks. However, the balance of market
power and social impact is complicated by the role of aratders (primary market agents)
and intermediaries controlling the supply chain of tilapia and pangas.
Around 100 % of the total output of pangas and tilapia is sold in fresh form as pangas
can’t be dried due to high percentage of lipids/oils and tilapia is relatively expensive fish
for manufacturing dry fish. As a whole, dry fish manufacturing Bangladesh is usually
done with mainly discarded fish or when bulk is harvested. Anyway, while farmed
pangas and tilapia provides a relatively stable and easily distributed chain of marketing,
the supply chain of farmed pangas and tilapia is not long and value chain does not exists
as nothing ready to eat or ready to cook stuffs are manufactured. However, high
nutritional values of the farmed fishes are is retained upto consumer levels as most of the
fishes are marketed in fresh conditions. As the pangas and tilapia are not stored for long
the use of chemicals or preservatives is not necessary. As mentioned earlier, there are no
specified market sizes for any fishes in the country, farmers for a reason or other
occasionally harvest small sized fish that may cause sudden surplus supplies and small
sized tilapia and pangas may create seasonal gluts and price slides.
7.18. Future Development
Traditionally pond aquaculture in Bangladesh involved mainly carp polyculture
comprising roughly 12-13 species, indigenous species popularly known as Indian major
carps and exotic species mainly Chinese carps along with small indigenous species is
reportedly accounts major share of production. Monoculture and high density farming
involving mixed farming of fish with supplemental feeding is a new development in
Bangladesh aquaculture. Currently, Monoculture of mainly pangas and tilapia and /or
mixed culture of the two or incorporation of pangas and tilapia with other species in high
density farming is getting popularity in some regions like Mymensingh and Bogra
regions. Though the emphasis for inland aquaculture remains mixed carp culture,
throughout the country mainly for domestic consumptions and excess for sale; however,
recent trend for commercial farming of fish in Bangladesh is focusing to high yielding
and easy to farm species, mainly pangas and tilapia.
114
A current focus is on promoting small indigenous and exotic species; like climbing perch
and stinging catfish is getting popularity in Mymensingh areas with important local food
supply benefits, and increasing market prices. There is strong demand for climbing perch
and stinging catfishes to export markets as well. However, demand for pangas and tilapia
as food fish will increase in coming years as these species could be farmed most cost-
effectively for low income group of population in Bangladesh. The pangas has already
nicknamed as poor man’s fish due to its relatively low price, high protein and high lipid
content and high flesh recovery rates. Children also like pangas as table fish as no
intramuscular bones exists, fleshes are soft and lipid content is high.
Though margin of profits by pangas farmers is declining and most farmer claims that if
price does increase they may abandon pangas culture, but in reality number of pangas
farming in the country is increasing. The loss in profit margin by pangas farmers are
mitigated by intensifications in farming. PRICE reported that some pangas farmers
registered as high as 87 ton of production in a hectare (10,000 sq m or 2.471 acres) of
water body per annum.
7.19. Post harvest and marketing of Pangas and tilapia
Post-harvest treatment prior to marketing of pangas and tilapia in Bangladesh is focused
mainly eyeing at domestic markets. The post harvest steps are harvesting, pooling,
transportation, distribution, and limited processing like cleaning and icing those targeted
towards domestic markets in bulk, catering or retail forms. Unfortunately neither tilapia
nor pangas is in the list of export items from Bangladesh yet. There are some 3 - 5
million workers within the domestic market and distribution sectors dealing with tilapia
and pangas including forward and backward linkages.
Within the overall supply chain (no value chain exists for pangas and tilapia in
Bangladesh), fishers/producers generate an average 50% of retail price, and as value
added within post-harvest sector is almost nil, the result of diversified markets with
relatively high levels of competition between buyers and market intermediaries.
7.20. Export Potential of Pangas and Tilapia
Since Bangladesh apparently produces huge amount of pangas and tilapia in recent days,
organized and large commercial farmers are eying for export markets. There are 124
shrimp processing factories in the country those are currently utilizing hardly 20% of
115
their processing capacities, and farmers are keen to open export market for tilapia and
pangas. However, problem is that Bangladesh fish/shrimp processors has no experiences
to export frozen fish to general frozen food markets; they mostly exports whole frozen
fish to ethic markets and in ethnic markets aboard, tilapia and pangas is not good
candidate.
While discussing with some processing plants at Chittagong, Jessore and Khulna region
in relation to prospect of pangas and tilapia export from Bangladesh, it was reported that
fin fish export from Bangladesh is still confined to ethnic markets abroad where sizable
Bangladesh population lives. Penetration to general frozen food market is possible with
tilapia and pangas but not in the form of whole frozen fish, rather boneless fillet form.
Processors agreed that there is market abroad for tilapia and pangas fillet but Bangladesh
does not have the expertise to make fillet neither by mechanically nor by hands. One
processor also mentioned that though raw materials for pangas and tilapia fillet is
available in Bangladesh but strong domestic markets discourage filleting as fish fillet
preparation produces huge buy-product roughly 50% of the biomass that causes price rise
of the fillet. He mentioned that his processing plant has trained manpower with UK
experts for hand filleting but cost-effective raw materials for fillet preparation is not
available. The cause of strong domestic market for whole fish is due to the fact that
Bangladeshi eats whole fish including skin and head of fish, while fillet preparation
discards all except boneless flesh.
Table 48: Farmers Response to Exporting Panags and Tilapia from Bangladesh
Yes
(%)
No
(%)
No idea (%)
Do you know farmed pangas may be
exported 70 15 15
Do you know farmed pangas may be
exported 50 10 40
Do you feel pangas price is high in local
market 0 80 20
Do you feel tilapia price is high in local
market 0 75 25
Will you feel initial export price should
be lower than local price 0 90 10
Will you sell yearly fixed priced fish for
export with slightly lower price? 0 100 0
Do you feel processor’s offering lower
price than export price? 70 0 30
As mentioned above, value addition of pangas and tilapia in domestic markets does not
exist. It is not only for tilapia or pangas but true for all fish species in the country, except
116
a few those are used for dry fish manufacturing or some other local delicacy preparation
(like hidol in Mymensingh areas). When discussed with large farmers producing pangas
and tilapia in bulk especially in Mymensingh and Bogra regions they have shown strong
desire to export of pangas and tilapia (Table 44) to sustain their farming as domestic
prices often slides or fluctuate specially for pangas. Recent report on pangas and tilapia
fillet export by some countries in south-East Asia also encouraged farmers in Bangladesh
to enter in export markets. When discussed the matters with aquaculture team of
members of PRICE they mentioned that PRICE also trying to facilitate export of pangas
and tilapia fillets from Bangladesh as strong demand in West-European countries exists
for fish fillet. However, it was mentioned by PRICE officials and a processing factory in
Gazipur that domestic price of pangas and tilapia are though less than compared other
farmed fish species but still it is higher that pangas and tilapia fillet exporting countries.
The price offered by fillet manufacturers to fish farmers is much below the price of fish
in local markets. The processors mentioned that the waste produced while preparation
fillet is almost 50% of the biomass of the fish (both tilapia and pangas) and outright raw
material’s prices jumps to double to that of domestic prices. The processors also
mentioned until some commercial uses of the waste is discovered pangas or tilapia fillet
export from Bangladesh will not be lucrative to fish processors.
It may be mentioned that there is no set market size of fish species in Bangladesh.
Consumer purchase whatever sized fish is marketed with little variation in prices.
However, to prepare fish fillet certain size range is necessary. Pangas farmers in
Mymensingh and Bogra areas mentioned that if they get advance orders they will be able
to produce any required amount of biomass of fish with specific sizes. However, present
scenario does not favourable for pangas or tilapia fillet preparation for export purposes.
7.21. Future of pangas and tilapia markets of Bangladesh
The growth of aquaculture in Bangladesh with prospects declining landings in the capture
sector may be considered as a conclusion. The increased output, and corresponding gains
in value in fish farming sector as a whole and pangas and tilapia in particular may be
considered vital to supply poor man’s animal protein. It may be mentioned that rural
poor have some excess to animal protein through community fishing and harvesting wild
fish from open water ecosystem. However, urban poor needs to buy animal protein from
the market ad here lies the future prospect of pangas and tilapia markets. So far both
pangas and tilapia are two species that is available in market cost-effectively. Small sized
pangas and tilapia are relatively cheap and affordable by urban poor. The expansions of
117
urban dwellers in cities and towns are creating huge demand for low cost or cost effective
fish sources and surely pangas and tilapia are two candidates for expanded farming and
production.
However, the impact mass scale production of pangas and tilapia will change access to
food supply by urban poor and will improve the quality of lives and livelihoods. Low cost
fish should be accessible not only to urban poor but for different groups of people
particularly to the people having no access to aquaculture by their own. These must be
understood that access to quality grade foods like animal protein is a must for all for a
health life. Also, gradually income of different segment of people are increasing ad when
that is interpreted to buying capability, huge demand is envisaged for low cost fish like
pangas and tilapia in future. The prognosis aquaculture in general and pangas and
tilapia in particular is positive, while that for capture fisheries, is at best slightly negative
due to long term effects of a declining resource base, and the practical difficulties of
management.
Based on the quality and availability of national aquatic resources it can be forecasted
that pangas and tilapia (mainly GIFT and mono-sex) are two potential candidates for the
future mass scale production through aquaculture. More Production of pangas and tilapia
for the masses can be materialized by the added networks of quality input supplies;
inbred free seeds, cost-effective but quality grade feeds with high feed conversion rates,
responsible farming and post harvest handlings, hygienic transportation and storages and
cool chain management. The market and distribution, value added product development
and export particularly to general frozen foods markets in USA and EU countries may
boost pangas and tilapia farming in the country. It may be mentioned that Bangladesh so
far exported fish to ethnic markets abroad where Bangladeshis living abroad always
prefer indigenous wild species, and as exotic species pangas and tilapia has less
attractions. In ethnic markets whole fish is exported, whereas in general frozen fish
market fillet has more demand.
It is true that urban population/consumers especially those of low and medium income
groups will be benefit from increased supply of pangas and tilapia. Rural people may
continue to produces lime and fertilization based carp and other small fish farming on a
low input low return basis for family consumptions and excess for sale. It may mentioned
that vast majority of house hold farmers who owns small ponds in court-yard may not be
able to produce pangas and tilapia in mass scale as pond they owns are not designed
primarily for fish farming but rather to supply water for household needs.
118
A range of public and private sector investments and initiatives will be needed to realize
the potential for change, growth and expanding economic output from commercial
farming of tilapia and pangas. Though some constraints can be recognized, the prospects
for doing so are positive, and the recent record of medium and large scale commercial
private sector enterprise farming tilapia and pangas display the emerging farming sector
that may sustain totally depending on domestic demand. Demand for pangas and tilapia
to export markets will an added advantage for commercial farming of these two
important species. However, while prospects for the farming of pangas and tilapia is
positive, a major challenge is to lure vast majority of domestic consumers with bad odor-
less fish in benefits to the many millions of Bangladesh’s low income people for whom
fish is very important food item.
7.22. Economic Performance of Pangas and Tilapia Farming in Bangladesh
The fishery resources, both from natural sources and farming to the people of Bangladesh
are very important. Fish farming has become an important economic activity in the
country, especially in rural areas. . Aquaculture widely acknowledged being critical to
both the economy and to the livelihoods of millions of poor people. Fish consumption
remains a major source of essential dietary nutrients in most households. Private sector
investment has grown substantially for commercial farming with tilapia and pangas.
Though significant growth potential in the aquaculture sub-sector remains unrealized for
carp and other important species like prawns and shrimps, but high yield farming of
pangas and tilapia has created an opportunity of employment, self-employment,
investments and income.
It is true that both pangas and tilapia are high yielding but they demand high rate of
inputs and produces huge aquaculture affluent when fed with low cost feeds that may led
to increased environmental degradation and ecosystem if the affluent are discarded
outside of farming areas without treatments. The expanding population creating huge
demand for animal protein and a land scarce country like Bangladesh could not afford
horizontal expansion for traditional fish farming with low outputs. However, pollution is
major threat to the expansion and management of the high density/semi-intensive farming
of pangas and tilapia. There is a good option for Bangladesh to introduce and popularize
cage farming of pangas and tilapia as the country has vast open water resources that are
already over-exploited. Cage farming in Bangladesh is still under experimental stages
producing 2-3,000 ton of mono-sex tilapia annually in two spots in Bangladesh,
119
Lakshmipur and Chandpur. However, signs are there that cage farming will be high
yielding economic activities based on community fisheries resources of open water.
Pangas is likely but mono-sex tilapia certainly will be most suitable farming species in
cages.
Over the time period of two decades or so a broad range of changes has taken place in
fish farming industry in Bangladesh. The successful adaptation of artificial induced
breeding of local and exotic carps since early 1980s, introduction of pangas and GIFT
(Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia) varieties of tilapia in late 1980s transformed
household based fish farming in Bangladesh to a commercial industrial based controlled
and high density farming. Introduction of dry pellet and over-wintering of fish seeds, use
of ground water has transformed season fish farming to perennial farming. Behind these
positive development; decreasing access to natural assets and fisheries physical
resources, decline in natural brood and local carp seed supplies, increased relocation of
people from rural areas to cities and towns, changing labour pattern from agriculture
farm labour to industrial labour mostly to garments industries, improving communication
and infrastructure developments, dam and irrigation projects implementations, changes
in traditional social networks, destruction of natural fish habitat and nursing and breeding
grounds, increased pollution, river siltation and environmental degradation caused
decline in natural fish supplies.
The situation has created demand for vertical production of fish in a unit area with high
inputs and high investments. All farming species used in Bangladesh doesn’t qualify as
candidates for high density or semi-intensive farming. Fortunately, pangas and tilapia
has shown potential for high density farming with high yields. So far under Bangladesh
conditions mixed farming of pangas and other carp/tilapia species has recorded as high as
86 ton/ha/year by some farmers in Mymensingh region. Tilapia also has shown very high
density farming und cage culture where a cage of 20x20x7 feet is capable to produce
1500 kg/year in three crops of 3-4 months duration.
These factors along with Government Policy initiatives and targets of producing more
fish in coming days will have a positive impact for high density closed and open water
fish farming in Bangladesh. The high density farming has been successful in private
sector. The private sector has played a significant role in mass production of cost-
effective seeds of farming species, and also increased investment in key areas such as fish
seed production, feed manufacturing, improved nursing, over-wintering, other micro and
macro input supply and transportation. Donor agency support in the from of technical
assistances and investment in the sector over the past few decades decade has tended to
120
focus on the provision of public and private sector services, especially extension, human
resource development and enterprise developments.
Unfortunately, increased investment towards research and to fisheries resource
management in recent years has not brought desired results. Especially introduction and
popularization of pangas and mono-sex tilapia was done mostly by private sector
initiatives. The outcomes of donor support towards overall aquaculture have been
generally positive but limited in scale, and development of tilapia and pangas farming got
almost no donor supports. Here, it may be mentioned that tilapia due to its year round
seed production capabilities were introduced in Bangladesh in late 1950s and expected it
will increase pond based fish production in the country. However, it did not metalized as
Mozambican variety of tilapia though produced many mouths but little biomass and it
became a farming hazards.
However, introduction of the GIFT and changed the scenario and soon, mono-sex tilapia
seed production through hatcheries production got momentum. The mono-sex tilapia has
become a very good culture species throughout the country within a very short term.
Since both pangas and tilapia are farmed with artificial supplementary feeds, over-
feeding is a problem and accumulation of uneaten feed particles, faces of fish pollutes
farming water soon and farmed fish are either fraught with danger of bad smell, disease
outbreaks or parasitic infections. To get rid of the water pollution and over feeding due to
ignorance, rational feed management is necessary. Floating feed is suitable for judicious
utilization of supplementary feeds in high density farming. Few feed companies in
recent years has build-up capacity to produce and market floating feeds in the country
and it has got popularity rapidly among pangas and tilapia farmers.
The case of tilapia, the GIFT in general and mono-sex in particular has made it as easy
farming a species as well. Moreover, both GIFT and Mono-sex could be raised for 2-3
crops annually. The species also could farm in seasonal water bodies and also in hanging
cages in rivers. Both GIFT and Mono-sex are well domesticated and planned farming
of the species has become popular. Unlike pangas, GIFT or mono-sex tilapia has not yet
experienced and price slide or consumer backlash. Pangas due to farmer’s malpractice
develops highly bad smell of ingested feed and consumers reacts strongly that lead of
price slide of farmed pangas.
121
The economic performance of tilapia and pangas farming is one of important part of this
study, together with its effects on livelihoods, self-employments, opportunistic
employments and integrated farming and food security options. The tilapia and pangas
farming review reveals the positive aspects of commercial farmers where investment to
be focused for the sustainability of the farming itself and its viability a new economic
activities in rural Bangladesh, to ensure positive and sustainable impact in rural socio-
economic conditions. In particular, the farming of these two important species
(incidentally two species are exotic in nature) provides the foundation to both commercial
farming and marketing and trends of output and value, production, marketing and
consumption. From these, it outlines the potential scenarios for growth, regulation and
change and the corresponding impacts on investment and its allocation, on income and its
distribution, on employment, food supply and security, and on resource use and value.
The high density farming of pangas and tilapia can be broadly described in terms of its
productivity, seed production in hatcheries, commercial nursing, over-wintered nursing
expanded fish seed trades, embedded services provided by different value chain actors is
enhancing the prospect of more production from an unit water area. The culture of
pangas and tilapia to marketable sizes with supplemental feeds will enhance
sustainability of their farming in rural Bangladesh. Commercial farming of pangas and
tilapia from small-scale household to commercially organized corporate entity generates
economic activities often periodic or seasonal short-term activity, to permanent and
continuous operations. The farming of tilapia should not be categories as singular
economic activities. The forward and backward linkages to the farming are connected
together in various forms of inter-linking enterprises, geographic, management or
monetary linkage. The relative importance of these various elements of the sector should
be kept in mind when economic importance of the pangas and tilapia farming is
considered.
Regardless of the kind of economic activity; seed production, conventional nursing, over-
wintered nursing, seed trade, grow-out culture, harvesting, transportation, whole sale and
retail marketing, pangas and tilapia production and marketing cycles generates diverse
economic activities in rural Bangladesh. The people involved in these economic activities
can be described in which natural resources are brought together with human interaction,
skills and purpose to yield a range of outputs or products which are in turn used and
consumed in the wider society.
122
In these economics activities related to farming of pangas and tilapia decisions on various
forms of transaction and exchange are involved, whether in supplying immediate
household/consumer demands, organized group’s demand like hostels, dormitories,
police, armed forces and jails and generating increasingly more common monetary
values. In Bangladesh, as in every other developing economy, products increasingly enter
market chains, and these chains are increasingly connected between rural and urban
populations and economies and their interaction not only generate economic activities but
also create employment opportunities.
In defining these market chains/supply chains, it is clear that many different groups of
people may be involved, carrying out a range of roles and functions, from the supply of
raw materials, diverse inputs, from seed production to the harvesting and production of
table fish, provision of various services, transportation, storage, and in the organization of
supply to meet consumer requirements. Each of these market chain related functions
involves transactions, in which lower value, lower quality disaggregated materials are
brought together to generate higher value, higher quality products for definable purposes.
In drawing an economic description of the farmed pangas and tilapia, therefore, it is
important to identify these elements, the people they represent, and the quantities and
values concerned. In most cases these can be represented in simple monetary terms,
though in some instances alternatives may need to be described. These forward and
backward linkages around the primary production activity are important in defining the
overall significance of a particular economic activity, the underlying trends which may
change these, and the wider implications of decisions for development.
7.22.1. Specific issues which are explored in the market study included the
followings;
- Relative delivery of diverse types of economic activity and their inclination in
relation to pangas and tilapia farming
- The dynamic feature which influence probable change in farming of pangas and
tilapia, market situations and penalty of future strategies under changing scenario
- Direct and indirect connections between farming related economic activities and
performance of farmed fishes in market situations
- The sensitivity of the consumers on accepting cultured fish farmed with
supplemental feeds and under high density farming
- The precise decision and opportunities to key policy and management verdict by
123
the public sector in relations to pangas and tilapia farming
- Evaluation of social reaction on introduction of exotics to Bangladesh
environment without testing
7.23. Expected long term benefit of pangas and tilapia farming in
Bangladesh
This topic explain the pangas and tilapia farming related economic activities in output
and value terms, and throughout supply chain steps to describes the linkages with the
people directly or indirectly associated with farming of this two important species, their
relative dependence on farming activities, and the traditions in which specific production
leads to type of consumption, income generation and employment opportunities arising
from these farming activities. The benefits associated with pangas and tilapia farming
can be interpreted in nonspecific expressions and specifically for level of wealth or
opportunity created through these farming activities.
The link specifically with the livelihood of the farmers associated with pangas and tilapia
farming under local environment and ecological conditions that may be linked with
human resource development in farming and in terms of the economic opportunities
which may provide increased biomass output unparallel to other species farming. Even as
all forms of benefit arising from farming of these two species cannot necessarily be
defined in fully adaptable terms, it is important to determine where and how it occurs and
how responsive it is to alter low productive farms to highly productive ones.
These points of view widen further to the issues of determining whether benefits can be
sustained, expanded and developed further. This is important to know, whether the
farming of particular crop (e.g. pangas and tilapia) using natural or created physical
resources can result in the continued delivery of products and services for economic and
social benefits. Further, certain farming based economic activities, like pangas and tilapia
farming in the present form should not diminish future opportunities.
These issues cannot necessarily be determined within the context of two species or even
aquaculture alone – water supplies from rain and or ground sources and its quality; and
the nature of species to density tolerance and adaptation to supplemental feeds are for
example valuable in decision making to chose the farming of a particular species. There
124
are many external influences – that may determine long term perspective for a farm
product, but actions and decisions taken within the sector can be critical.
However, farmers are the one who takes the decision and hardly have they taken wrong
decisions. For example while talking to aquaculture staffs of PRICE including team
leader they sincerely express their view that 20 years back no one thought that
supplemental feed like dry pellets will be feasible under Bangladesh socio-economic
conditions; people at that time suggested and sincerely believed that plankton feeding
carps and related species will be most profitable and environmentally sound for
Bangladesh aquaculture sector to flourish. Now situation has changed significantly, all
feeding tilapia and voracious eater pangas has suddenly became lovely farmed species
among the commercial farmers simply because these species grows fast, feed conversion
ratio is predictable and most importantly they have created market among masses, bulk
production will not face any market glut at the same time these species are cost-effective
among low income groups of population.
Consumers are usually the first determinants of future potentials for a consumable
product. Point of view on sustainability varies under different conditions; but it requires
that economic benefits are distributed with sufficient equity for long term sustainability.
For sustainability the key feature of most primary farmed products depends on how much
natural resource is drained to produce a unit of the product. Fortunately, pangas and
tilapia compared to their counterpart farmed species utilizes relatively less natural
resources and the waste produced by the farming of these species are biodegradable and
could be used as energy sources for field or even aquaculture crops.
It is often said that aquaculture should focus to eliminate poverty at rural areas where
resource poor farming families lives; also it is said that aquaculture is one of main area
where family based nutrition can get upgraded where farming families will have more
excesses to animal protein, lipid, fat-soluble vitamins and micro-nutrient sources for
better and sustainable livelihoods approaches. The farming of both pangas and tilapia not
only fulfill the above mentioned criteria but it also directly or indirectly focuses to supply
relatively cheap sources of animal protein and other nutritional inputs to urban poor. The
number of urban poor is increasing at a rapid pace. Since, urban population must be fed
and there needs an expanded supply of cost-effective animal protein and commercial
farming of pangas and tilapia can perform a big role in this context.
125
8. Future Observations Initiatives on Pangas and Tilapia
Farming for its Sustainability
A mentioned earlier, pangas and tilapia, two exotic species has already taken a significant
market share in the country and commercial farming of these species is increasing at a
rapid pace. However, for long term sustainability certain areas needs to be observed
carefully and interventions/corrective measure are also needed so that total supply chin,
forward and backward linkages remain sustainable. The areas that need careful
observations and corrective/preservation measures are as follows:
8.1. Maintenance of Seed Quality
Initially, assessment of current and potential demand of pangas and mono-sex tilapia
(most farming dealing with high-growth tilapia farming is actually done with mono-sex
tilapia) fingerling, and its availability of in-terms of current and expanding farming areas
throughout the country. As mentioned earlier, quality of aquaculture seeds are very often
deteriorates due to inbreeding problem and careful selection of genetically pure broods
are necessary for the quality grade seed in hatcheries. Since in Bangladesh hatcheries are
not registered and reportedly hatchery law is under formulation it is really difficult to
ensure quality of seed of popular farming species. The cases of exotic species are more
severe as the genetic resources are not available in nature and whenever, a genetic
corruption id detected it are necessary to import/collect pure genetic resources from its
source of origin. Both tilapia and pangas are imported species and already there are
serious questions already raised farmers and others that the fish are not growing that fast
as it was growing previously.
8.2. Preservation of Quality Grade Broods
To maintain the seed quality of these two important farmed species of fish, it is necessary
to maintain and preserved pure genetic quality of the species, if it is necessary by
collecting those resources from its source of origin. Establishment of gene bank under
Bangladesh condition appears little difficult and time consuming when discussed the
126
matter with experts in the line. However, experienced people suggested that collection of
pure genetic resources is not very difficult as Bangladesh now has thriving and expanding
aquarium business and most of the species are reportedly imported. Once, required
genetic resources are procured it will be easy to maintain its genetic purity by preserving
those in protected ponds in flood free zone with high raised embankments so that brood
are not allowed to escape in nature during frequent floods in Bangladesh. Once genetic
pure broods are raised, selective breeding and supply of ensured genetically pure broods
to commercial hatcheries will ensure country-wide genetically pure seed supplies of
tilapia and pangas.
8.3. Popularization of Over-wintered Seeds of the two species
Over-wintering of seeds is prerequisite for perennial farming of fish in Bangladesh where
all farmed species are seasonal breeder, except tilapia. Tilapia though breeds almost
round the year but their fecundity (egg laying capacity) reportedly declines during winter.
Anyway, commercial seed production of like all other species both tilapia and pangas
also follow the seasonal cycles; i.e., monsoon based April to August of the year. Though
tilapia can breed round the year and mono-sex seed production uses little baby tilapia for
sex-reversal and bulk of baby tilapia supplies also comes from monsoon peak season of
seed production.
Bangladesh aquaculture is in the exponential phase of increase and both tilapia and
pangas has already entered in high density based perennial farming with pre-nursed
fingerling stockings. In large farms fry of fish is nursed to fingerling stages that
effectively reduces grow-out farming period and farmers using pre-nursed juvenile fish
for grow-out farming are able to harvest more than an crop using same grow-out water
body. This procedure effectively ensures maximum utilization of available physical
aquaculture resources and is fist step towards cost-effective production and increasing
competitiveness of farms for long term sustainability.
127
However, to have a true perennial farming system developed round the year supply of
adequate amount/quantity of seeds is prerequisite. Season based production can’t ensure
that. To overcome the problem a new system in aquaculture seed supply scheme has
developed that is called over-wintering process. The term over-wintering has been
described earlier in detail and PRICE reportedly encouraging the popularization of the
OW seeds. The initiative by PRICE is recommendable but rapid outreach of over-
wintering is necessary for expansion and sustainability of commercial farming of pangas
and tilapia together with other important farmed species in aquaculture.
8.4. Quality Grade Feeds
Currently two fish species those are basically farmed by suing supplemental and
artificially produced feed are pangas and tilapia. Further, semi-intensive farming with
production potential of 50 ton/ha or above annually is also achieved in case of pangas and
tilapia only. Throughout the country and especially in Mymensingh and Boora regions
high density farming is basically done using dry pellet feeds commercially produced by
feed mills. Unfortunately, the quality of feed produced in the country is not excellent in
quality. Farmers have a tendency to buy low cost feed and to fulfill the demand of
farmers feed millers incorporate low cost stuffs while manufacturing pellet and that ends
up in most cases over supply of carbohydrate based ingredients and often loaded with
cellulose. These types of feed are basically junk feed that deteriorates quality of feeds,
health of farming water and bottom soil of pond.
Therefore, it is necessary to encourage feed millers to manufacture quality grade feeds
and to educate farmers to use quality grade feeds for better production. The talking point
should be not the price of feed but the resultant feed efficiency.
8.5. Selection of Thrust Areas for Pangas and Tilapia Farming
Currently, most pangas and tilapia are produced in Mymensingh, Bogra and Jessore
regions. Since pangas and tilapia are consumed in unban areas especially at lower income
groups of urban population, its productions hubs should be nearer to huge consumers
128
groups or in areas from where the harvested stuffs could be transported. The main
consumer’s centers in the country are Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and other larger cities
and towns where sizable low income poor population congregate. Therefore farming
activities involving pangas and tilapia should focus o annual and seasonal demand in
those markets to maximize production based on demand in the probable markets. Since
population in the country and urbanization is expanding in a rapid pace, demand for
pangas and tilapia in coming years is also expected to expand.
8.6. Cage Farming of Pangas and Tilapia
Cage farming of fish in Bangladesh has good prospect through it has not yet emerged as a
significant economic activity. However, water pollution and accumulated sludge
problems in land based fish farming and associated problems has created opportunities
for alternative aquaculture, floating cage farming, where holding of fish inside floating
cages while permitting water exchange and waste removal into the surrounding water.
Bangladesh is blessed with huge flowing fresh water and perennial water bodies in big
lakes and natural depressions suitable for cage farming.
Cage culture is not popular in Southeast Asian fishermen. The intentional confinement of
fish in cages to increase their size is a technology dating back to the early 1900s. Today
cage culture is practiced in many regions of the world, and is a thriving industry in some
areas producing huge fish biomass from relatively small caged water area, creating job
opportunities, development of associated industries and new economic activities and
income generation.
Previously, Bangladesh lacked materials needed for cage constructions, especially nylon
and other durable synthetic meshes, floats etc. Currently synthetic meshed nets are
manufactured locally suitable for cage farming and plastic drums imported with crude
soybean oil could be used as floats. Bamboo or iron slats and wire are available for
support structure to hold the floating cages on river water or suspended above the bottom
of a body of water. Most importantly, Bangladesh now produces commercial floating
feeds with good FCR and moderate rates. The price of floating feed of similar category of
sinking pellets is BDT 1.0-2.0 higher per kg.
129
Cage culture in Bangladesh started recently using mono-sex tilapia in Chandpur and
Lakshmipur areas, one of the most important farmed species currently available in
Bangladesh. If, cage farming of tilapia and pangas flourish in the country, expansion of
farming and landing of these two important farmed species will be tremendous.
Anyway to farm mono-sex tilapia in cages, currently farmers use mostly bamboo or iron
slats, nylon nets and plastic drums to construct floating cages as shown below.
Fig 59.. Floating cage farming involving mono-sex tilapia (Picture: Source Aquaculture unit, PRICE)
Iron slats are relatively more durable and strong, but heaver and expensive compared to
bamboo that are lightweight but do not last long. Usually, two layer of mesh are used in
hanging cage, fine layer few feet deep to prevent floating feeds drifting away, but bigger
mesh in main cage allow complete exchange of water volume based on flow of water.
Meshed cage allow free passage of fish wastes, prevent escape of captive fish but not
stress or injure fish, flowing water prevents fouling of raised fish; feeding and harvesting
process is inexpensive and fish could be harvested at will. A the top of cages a protective
layer of net is used to protect fish from jumping away or preyed on by fish eating birds.
The cages are usually anchored to prevent from washed away.
Bangladesh being land of rivers can raise huge amount of fish by cage farming using fast
growing and high priced domesticated fresh water fish species. In this connection tilapia
and pangas may be considered the promising candidate for cage farming. The seed
production, nursing, over-wintering of these species are easy and cost-effective. Coastal
areas of the country are fraught with danger of cyclone and tidal bore; early warning of
these natural disasters is helpless to protect land based fish farming of farmers. However,
floating cage with fish could be salvage by quick harvest, if fish are marketable sizes or
130
may be towed to a safer place. Besides, pangas and tilapia are two species domesticated
earlier and considered most tamed species among the farmed fish species.
Fig 60. High density rising of tilapia in cages
Fig 61. Large sized tilapia may be produced in cages (a beneficiary
member of a PRICE partner)
131
A recent trip to a cage farming area in Chandpur, aquaculture team of PRICE evaluated
the prospect of promoting cage culture in rivers, low lying areas, natural depressions or
lakes and came out with a positive notes that under climate change and rise of sea and
river level scenario, cage farming is worth of testing. PRICE is negotiating with group
of cage farmers for a partnership to improve cage farming interims of cage’s durability,
maximizing production, species diversification, market linkages for export, and de-facto
fish sanctuary and biodiversity protections in selected part of the rivers. A single trip to
Chandpur during the study, showed that high density farming of mono-sex tilapia (Fig
60), good growth I cages (Fig. 61) may be achieved through cage farming under
Bangladesh conditions.
Cage farming unlike pond based fish/shrimp aquaculture is risk-free of dissolve oxygen
(DO) shortage that is responsible for mass killings of farmed fish and shrimp, if peddle
wheels are not used in relatively high density farming. Therefore, tilapia and pangas may
be considered as ideal species for cages as high density farming involving these two
species are already proved successful o land and there is good prospect for them in cages
as well. .
It may be mentioned that while floating cages are used for fish farming, continuous
feeding and excretion by captive fish release fragmented feed particles and lure wild fish
at peripheral areas, enhance plankton growth and attracts wild plankton eating fish, and
hanging cages creates sanctuary for wild fishes to escape fishing nets. Consequently,
cage culture in rivers will indirectly protect part of wild stocks in river from over
exploitation that is a serious problem in Bangladesh. As tilapia and pangas are habituated
in high density farming and resultant waste disposal is a problem in land based
aquaculture, but in floating cages waste disposal will not be a problem.
Land based pond farming in most cases are seasonal business as vast majority of fish
farmers trap and uses monsoon water for farming and during dry season most ponds dry
up. In case of cage farming water will not be a problem and farming could be done round
the year. If, cage farming could be institutionalized, it will also create other supporting
industries, like net manufacturing, cage construction, floating feed manufacturing,
nursing of fish, supplying fingerlings and expand related business.
So far, a few successful cage farming initiatives has been undertaken in two places;
namely, Dakatia river basin in Chandpur and Rahamatkhali river mouth meeting point to
vast Meghna River. This isolated idea was undertaken by a private citizen with
132
encouragement from Team Leader PRICE Aquaculture, who became interested after
knowing about cage farming through reports, publications and interneting. The initiative
is still small but signs are there that it may flourish rapidly, if extension plan is executed
through demonstration, especially how to construct, install and operates the cages in vast
flowing rivers or open water bodies like hoars and boars. The cage farming of in
Lakshmipur and Chandpur may be considered highly successful as it recorded three crops
of mono-sex tilapia per year with a production of 3.2 ton per cages (20x12x7 feet) with a
feed efficiency of 1.5 to 1.9 kg floating feed producing 1 kg biomass of fish depending on
quality and price of feed.
There are a few new economic activities involving cage farming; synthetic net
manufacturing, iron slats built-up, bamboo frame constructions, feeding fish by boats,
nursing of fries to fingerling by conventional and over-wintering process and periodic net
cleanings. Cage farming though is not a very complicated techniques but aquaculturist in
the country is not aware about its operations. For rapid expansion of the cage farming in
areas other than Chandpur ad Lakshmipur areas demonstration of the process is needed.
While talked to PRICE officials regarding assistances to cage farming of tilapia and
pangas it was reported that USAID does not allow supporting demo farming with feed,
seed and fertilizers i.e., supporting with inputs, therefore, supporting extension of cage
farming in new areas with fingerlings and feeds or medicine is not possible. However, if
PRICE can support with few cages in some selected spots in the country like Khulna,
Sylhet, Patuakhali and Mymensingh areas it may help rapid expansion and popularization
of the techniques.
Bangladesh being a land scarce country can judiciously utilize her vast open fresh water
resources for more fish biomass production, resource management, business expansion,
job creation and protection of biodiversity and cope with the challenge of climatic change
and water level increase.
8.7. Post Harvest Handling & Live Fish marketing
Post harvest handling for farmed fish in the country is one of the main problems as
harvested fish must be chilled, iced and stored/packed before transportations. Once fish is
harvested these often dies quickly and starts spoiling within couple of hours. Since,
133
farming of fish is mostly done in rural areas and most of the rural areas have no
electricity connection that makes ice supplies difficult to farm level.
Fig. 62. Live pangas in whole sale market
Fig. 63. Live pangas in retail market
134
However, in case of pangas, live fish trading is not a problem and pangs may be sold to
whole sale (Fig. 62) or retail markets in live conditions (Fig. 63).
If fish could be kept live after harvest and transported in live conditions the post harvest
handling though will be little difficult and costly, but prices of live fish will be significant
highly compared to iced fish. Pangas and tilapia, if possible to market in live conditions
its market will expand quickly.
As mentioned earlier, pangas is often transported live to distant markets with little water
in plastic drums. The species is frequently seen in retail market still live while waiting for
customer. However, no mechanism is adapted to keep them live while selling to
consumers in retail markets. It is known that live fish fetch relatively higher prices as it
ensured freshness of fish. In Bangladesh only air-breathing species are sold live. There is
good prospect to trade these species in live conditions even to retail markets with little
water and if possible aeration for tilapia only.
Pangas does not need any aeration while kept in plastic containers with water. Thailand
has reportedly institutionalized marketing many farmed fish and shrimp species in live
conditions and that is a thriving business there. Bangladesh can do that first involving
pangas and tilapia and gradually going for other species. Though tilapia can’t be
marketed in live condition like panags at current marketing methods, but the species
could be sold fresh through icing both in wholesale (Fig.64 ) and retail markets (Fig. 65).
135
Fig. 64. Iced tilapia in whole sale market
Fig. 65. Iced-chilled tilapia in retail market
8.8. Market Promotion
It is often said that market promotion for fish in the country is not necessary as demand
for fish increasing with the expansion of population, there is no market sizes for fish and
136
income level of people are increasing leading to availability of little extra money to
purchase fish. However, market promotion is needed for sustainability for farmed fish in
general and tilapia and pangas in particular. It was learned through the market study that
tilapia and pangas prices, especially the price of pangas is sliding during last few years
and farmers are somehow maintaining continued farming by vertical production
increases. This a good trend that it ensures fish for local market for low value fish to
ensure fair price for producers and increase consumption by poor both in rural and urban
areas. Pangas and tilapia has already earned bad names due to malpractices by some
producers who reportedly uses poultry litters in farming. Poultry litters though directly
not used as feed it reportedly enhance plankton (microscopic plant foundation of food
chain in water body) and benthos (small creatures living in bottom mud of water body)
and thus assist fish growth, but consumers has sensitivity regarding using litters in
farming other than field crops.
Promotion of urban market for pangas and tilapia will perform two important task,
supplying low-cost /cost-effective animal protein and micro-nutrients to urban
masses/poor and side by side will increased income to rural poor who farms tilapia and
pangas. Market promotion in urban areas for increased supply of tilapia and pangas will
directly help more economic activities in rural areas, create employment, self-
employment and opportunistic employment opportunities thus indirectly will stop
migration of rural poor to urban areas for looking jobs and ultimately increasing slum
dwelling population.
8.9. Awareness among farmers to stop malpractices
While conducting the study, some key informant reported that pangas farmers are
partially to blame for sliding prices of pangas due to malpractices while doing farming.
Pangas is reportedly a voracious eater and eats excess when supplemental feeds are
provided. Taking advantages of eating habits of pangas some farmers reportedly practices
feeding the fish as much as possible just before harvest for marketing. Pangas is a fish
that can tolerate mishandling and survives considerable period of time after taken out of
water. Ultimately, they struggle to die. However, after feeding fish when harvest is done
pangas already partially consumed a lot of feed and partial absorption probably started
137
but digestion could not complete. This means bloodstream of pangas contains absorbed
feed extract and smell, sufficient enough to invite consumer backlash due to bad smell of
feed. Consumers always have some reservations on farmed fish compare to natural ones,
and when smell arising due to malpractices consumer rejections become stronger. This is
the main reason of price slide of pangas and partially for tilapia. Farmers should be aware
that internationally depuration of farmed aquatic organisms is done for couple of days
where farmed fish and shrimps are starved for 24 to 72 hours so that all ingested artificial
feeds are digested and no residual stuffs/effects remains. Our farmers are actually doing
the reverse.
8.10. Processing & Export
Fish and chip is a very popular menu as sea foods in Europe and other western countries.
Both pangas and tilapia are ideal fish for manufacturing of fish fillet that is used in “Fish
and chip” menu as raw materials. Unfortunately, Bangladesh exporters have not yet
penetrate the export market of fish fillet. The processors blame high prices of both pangas
and tilapia in domestic markets and waste of fish after filleting has no commercial uses.
Bangladesh reportedly provides subsidy for agriculture stuffs including fish and shrimp
export. Fish fillet may get extra subsidy initially to popularized frozen fish fillet export to
countries where significant amount of fish fillets are consumed. Government subsidy and
market drive by exporters may open avenue for fish fillet specially pangas and tilapia
fillets abroad. Reportedly, all fish exports from Bangladesh are actually goes to ethnic
Bangladeshi/Bengali specking living abroad (ethnic markets). However, fillet fish and
subsequent “Fish and chip” are stuffs for general markets and that is multi-billion dollar
industries in some countries of Western Europe as well as in North American countries.
If, Bangladesh can enter in main stream market with fillet it will be a breakthrough.
8.11. Organized Farming and Marketing of Pangas and Tilapia
Pangas and tilapia are farmed by farmers both in household ponds as small scale family
business as well as commercial farming. In Bangladesh only these two species are mostly
138
farmed using supplemental feeds. There are some thrusts areas like Mymensingh, Bogra,
Naogaon, Narsingdi, Pabna, Comilla, Chandpur, Bagherhat and Jessore, where both
pangas and tilapia farming has flourished and. On the other hand, Cox’s Bazar,
Chittagong, Rangpur, and greater Noakhali districts gained popularity in mono-sex tilapia
farming. Greater Rajshahi except Nawabgonj districts made some progress in Pangas
farming. Cage farming of exclusively with mono-sex tilapia gained some popularity in
Chadpur and Lakshmipur districts. These organized farming needs organized marketing
as well. To stabilize the market for these two important species, specifically focusing
urban markets some sort of linkages are needed among the producers to harvest and
market the fish in a synchronized way so that market glut may be avoided and fair price
could be ensured. This is not to create market monopoly but for the sustainability in
supply and marketing for the long run.
8.12. Extension of pangas and tilapia farming, information and
knowledge dissemination
So far, pangas and tilapia farming has developed to current stage through initiative by
mostly farmers following the carp culture methodologies under popularization thrust by
Department of Fisheries, Fisheries Research Institutes development organizations and
NGOs initiatives. However, carp culture in Bangladesh has not reached to high density
farming like pangas and tilapia. As mentioned earlier, pangas and tilapia are two species
profit-making farming of these two is mainly done with commercial dry pellet feeds.
Main inputs of pangas and tilapia farming are seeds and supplemental feeds and
Bangladesh has developed capacity of producing the both in sufficient amounts and this
capacity build-up has made it easier for further extension of farming at ease. Since, urban
population is increasing and huge low come group of urban population are creating
increased demand for relatively low-cost fish like pangas and tilapia. Therefore,
extension of high density farming of these species should be considered as pro-poor
approaches and attempt should be taken to disseminate information and knowledge to
increase outreach as quickly as possible. Mass education through electronic media using
139
audio-visual aid can help expansion of pangas farming like once poultry farming was
done in Bangladesh.
8.13. Women Participation in Pangas and Tilapia Farming
Women participation in rural based economic activities is important for the
improvements in quality of lives, increased family income, self-employments and family
based nutrition. It is said that pangas is an ideal species to farm by a beginner as the
species is hardy and survival rate is excellent. Reportedly, it may be farmed in household
ponds with supplemental as well as home made feeds.
Fig. 66. Women engaged in tilapia farming in Jessore area (a beneficiary member
of a PRICE partner)
Tilapia on the other hand may be farmed with supplemental feeds as well as depending
on fertilization and liming and low cost feeds like rice bran and wheat bran. For family
level consumption as well selling the excess produces household ponds and seasonal
water bodies could be utilized for small scale farming of tilapia and public initiative
140
should focus on maximum participation of women in tilapia and pangas farming. PRICE
reportedly has taken initiatives’ to involve women at household level small sized fish
farming for family nutrition and family income.
8.14. Pangas and Tilapia Farming Funding Services:
Institutional credit to traditional and low yielding fish farming is almost nil. The images
of agriculture loan in Bangladesh are poor as it often misplaced. Commercial farming of
tilapia and pangas in fast growing areas arrears to expand based on mainly leased based
water bodies that effectively bar institutional credits. The contract farming system has not
yet initiated in fish farming overall as neither feed mills nor hatcheries practices buying-
back. Wholesalers are basically commission agent and see no incentives in financing
farmers. Supply chain financing by newly emerging super-market chain would have
been a good options, but these species are not popular among buyers those who do
shopping in super-market chains.
Currently, main cost in high density pangas and tilapia farming is cost of feeds as seeds
are not that costly. Besides nursing of the species to fingerling stage does not require
huge amount of feed. Grow-out farming of couple of months requires bulk of feed. Trust
based credit services by feed millers to organized farmers could be very effective supply
chain financing as both pangas and tilapia grow-outs could be modeled for couple of
months when feed demands is high and farmers could be able to payback the feed cost
once harvest is complete.
8.15. Evening Banking for Pangas and Tilapia Farmers in Intensive Farming Areas
While travelling and interviewing to collect information on pangas and tilapia seed
production, nursing, farming and marketing with farmers in commercial scale farming
141
areas, some farmers raised the issue of consumer banking activities especially in
Mymensingh areas. Some farmers aligned with PRICE activities and producing huge
biomass of pangas and tilapia faces problems when they sale the fish in bulk. The farmers
said that bulk harvest is usually done at afternoon and shipment usually done at evening.
While shipment is made usually cash transaction generally occurs. Farmers said that in
rural areas keeping significant amount of cash at home when a lot of people knows about
cash due to open selling, it is not safe to keep cash at home and they need evening
banking to deposit the money after transaction.