Bangladesh Colour Fish Farming 02

Colour fish farming making life colourful in Jhenidah

A college boy at Kaliganj upazila in Jhenidah has been changing the socio-economic condition within a few months nursing uncommon colour fish farming.

He has been managing the educational expenses for his brother, sister and himself. The Department of Fisheries has been providing assistance to expand the farming to encourage the boy.

Sehab Uddin 22, son of Abdul Manna of Hasanhati village at Kaliganj, said that he has been studying in second year honours at City College in Jashore. His poor farmer father was facing financial constraints to manage the educational expenses of his three children; Sehab was thinking to do something for the troubled family any way. After consultation with a number of fish prawn producers and vendors, he decided to nurse the colour fish in mini water bodies.

Sehab said considering the financial state of the family, he constructed eight smaller houses with concrete at his house. He purchased male and female species of colour fish including Guppy Moli, Gold Fish, Comet, Redtika, Koicurp, Patti and some other for Taka 18,500 in February this year. The species were collected from a renowned fish vendor Saiful Islam of Kalaroa in Satkhira who advised him some techniques of colour fish farming.

Sehab said he released the new prawns in the houses which started providing eggs and prawns within two months. He transferred the prawns into the deep water at ponds in net for smooth growing. The same were almost mature for selling and the interested people from and neighboring upazilas have been rushing to purchase the same for beautification of their aquariums.

He had sold the colour prawns for Taka 18 thousand in past few weeks and hoping another 60 thousand for the remaining prawns stored in the houses. Further, the mother and aged fishes might ensure some money within a few months.

With the sale proceeds, the college boy is meeting up the educational and personal expenditure of his younger sister and brother, and also for himself. He spends time before going to college in the morning and in the afternoon when he backs at home. The fodder for the fish is easily available in the feed stores at a lowest price. He spends Taka 25 to 30 a day, he said.

Someone can run a mini colour fish farming project investing a few thousand taka, and earn some money for himself or the family, as it is almost least risky and time consuming. He is expecting to expand the farming for better activities, Sehab said.

Upazila fisheries officer (UFO) in Kaliganj Saidur Reza Muhammad Selin said Sehab Uddin is playing a vital role in unique colour fish farming. The Department of Fisheries has been providing technical assistance to Sehab for smooth running of the farming. This sort of farming might help in strengthening the socio-economic base in the society, the fisheries officer said.