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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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,

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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)

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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

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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,

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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

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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).

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.