Aquaculture practices in two seasonal floodplains of Bangladesh

Abstract

A comparative technical and economic analysis of two communitybased seasonal floodplains (Khirai and Angrail) of Daudkandi Upazila, Comilla during 2008 to 2010, are represented in this paper. The two floodplains differed mainly in management and fish production which were related to capital investment, variable cost, share of profits and proportional reimbursement to the fishers. Local management committees have been developed in each floodplain with significant differences. Average 142 kg/ha of fish fingerlings (carps such as Catla catla, Labeo rohita, Cirrhinus cirrhosus, Labeo calbasu, Labeo bata and exotic species such as Hypopthalmicthys molitrix, Aristichthys nobilis, Cyprinus carpio, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Pungasius hypophthalmus, Barbonymus gonionotus, Oreochromis niloticus) were stocked at the varying proportions. Fish production obtained were 2.8 to 4.4 mt/ha and 1.1 to 1.3 mt/ha in Khirai and Angrail floodplain, respectively. The average cost of fish production, total income and the net income have been estimated as Tk. 209650 ± 54167.12/ha, Tk. 281306 ± 88263.42/ha and Tk. 71656 ± 35152.51/ha in Khirai floodplain and Tk. 62349 ± 5768.90/ha, Tk. 111930 ± 12711.02/ha and Tk. 49580 ± 6948.26/ha in Angrail floodplain, respectively. The benefit cost ratio (BCR) has been recorded as 1.33 and 1.79 in Khirai and Angrail floodplain, respectively. The results reveal that the fish production and economic benefit was higher in Khirai floodplain.Bangladesh J. Zool. 41(2): 217-228, 2013