Prof ABM Mosharraf Husain, Bagerhat :
Due to sudden outbreak of unknown virus disease in Bagerhat shrimp farms shrimps are dying every day in a large scale .
Following the situation panic has been created among shrimp cultivators of the district and they were thrown into an utter distress. Most of the shrimp cultivators cultivated shrimps after borrowing money from the banks or money lenders. If the shrimps die in such a large scale every day and it continue further most of the shrimp cultivators of the district will not be able to pay off their debts and cultivate shrimps for the next time.
Fishery Department of the district could not ascertain so far the cause behind the death of shrimps. But the experienced shrimp cultivators opine that want of sufficient water in the shrimp farms may be the cause behind the outbreak of this fatal and virus disease and consequently, thousand of shrimp cultivators of Rampal, Mongla Morrelganj, Fakirhat etc. Upazilas and Saitgumbaz, Dema, Karapra, Gotapara, Bemarta, Jatrapur, Baraipara, Khanpur, Rakhalgachi and Bisnupur Unions of Bagerhat Sadar Upazila of the district are incurring a heavy loss.
Md. Zia Haidar Chowdhury, District Fishery Officer , Bagerhat told the newsmen, shrimps were cultivated in as many as 70 thousand fish farms of the district in the current year and the target of the production was fixed at 15 thousand 2 hundred 71 metric tones. He added, after the outbreak of the disease in the shrimp farms officers of the fishery department are visiting the shrimp farms and trying to create awareness among shrimp cultivators about the matter.
H. M. Rakibul Islam, Senior Scientific Officer of Bagerhat Shrimp Research Institute told the newsmen, local shrimp farmers are cultivating shrimps applying the method is not a scientific one at all. He added, not only that but also preparation system of their fish farms for cultivating shrimps is defective. According to his primary assessment, shrimps were attacked with virus disease like an epidemic form at the very beginning and shrimps are dying in a large scale. The Scientific Research officer further disclosed, we have collected the samples of dead shrimps for examination and research work and we will be able to ascertain the real cause behind the death of shrimps very soon. Jahangir Hossain, a shrimp cultivator of Gotapara village under Bagerhat Sadar Upazila disclosed to the newsmen, I took lease of about 7 acres of lands where I cultivated shrimps this year and when the shrimps were grown up to some extent they were attacked with an unknown disease and shrimps are dying in a large scale. He could not ascertain the reason.
On the other hand, shrimp cultivators of Rampal and Mongla Upazilas of the district disclosed, the river Bisna, a major river of the area is linked with Mongla-Ghasiakhali water channel and the river Hojir Khal is its main branch. Dema, Baliadanga, Holdah, Khegraghat, Kalia, Hedayetpur etc. villages of Dema Union under Bagerhat Sadar Upazila are crisscrossed by the river Hojir Khal and its offshoot canals and several thousand shrimp farms of the Union are situated by the both sides of them (river Hojir Khal and its offshoot canals). But a number of local influential people are cultivating shrimps after illegally constructing a number of cross dams over this flowing river. As a result, natural flow of the water of the river was suspended and shrimp farms situated by the both sides of its offshoot canals are not getting sufficient water for cultivation of shrimps. As a result, the insufficient water of shrimp farms is heated with scorching sun at day time and as a result, shrimps are dying in large scale.
For the same reason professions of the local people and the bio-diversity of the area are also affected. The local people are strongly demanding the removal of cross dams of the river Hojir Khal in order to maintain its water flow normal for the greater interest of the area and the people.
Due to sudden outbreak of unknown virus disease in Bagerhat shrimp farms shrimps are dying every day in a large scale .
Following the situation panic has been created among shrimp cultivators of the district and they were thrown into an utter distress. Most of the shrimp cultivators cultivated shrimps after borrowing money from the banks or money lenders. If the shrimps die in such a large scale every day and it continue further most of the shrimp cultivators of the district will not be able to pay off their debts and cultivate shrimps for the next time.
Fishery Department of the district could not ascertain so far the cause behind the death of shrimps. But the experienced shrimp cultivators opine that want of sufficient water in the shrimp farms may be the cause behind the outbreak of this fatal and virus disease and consequently, thousand of shrimp cultivators of Rampal, Mongla Morrelganj, Fakirhat etc. Upazilas and Saitgumbaz, Dema, Karapra, Gotapara, Bemarta, Jatrapur, Baraipara, Khanpur, Rakhalgachi and Bisnupur Unions of Bagerhat Sadar Upazila of the district are incurring a heavy loss.
Md. Zia Haidar Chowdhury, District Fishery Officer , Bagerhat told the newsmen, shrimps were cultivated in as many as 70 thousand fish farms of the district in the current year and the target of the production was fixed at 15 thousand 2 hundred 71 metric tones. He added, after the outbreak of the disease in the shrimp farms officers of the fishery department are visiting the shrimp farms and trying to create awareness among shrimp cultivators about the matter.
H. M. Rakibul Islam, Senior Scientific Officer of Bagerhat Shrimp Research Institute told the newsmen, local shrimp farmers are cultivating shrimps applying the method is not a scientific one at all. He added, not only that but also preparation system of their fish farms for cultivating shrimps is defective. According to his primary assessment, shrimps were attacked with virus disease like an epidemic form at the very beginning and shrimps are dying in a large scale. The Scientific Research officer further disclosed, we have collected the samples of dead shrimps for examination and research work and we will be able to ascertain the real cause behind the death of shrimps very soon. Jahangir Hossain, a shrimp cultivator of Gotapara village under Bagerhat Sadar Upazila disclosed to the newsmen, I took lease of about 7 acres of lands where I cultivated shrimps this year and when the shrimps were grown up to some extent they were attacked with an unknown disease and shrimps are dying in a large scale. He could not ascertain the reason.
On the other hand, shrimp cultivators of Rampal and Mongla Upazilas of the district disclosed, the river Bisna, a major river of the area is linked with Mongla-Ghasiakhali water channel and the river Hojir Khal is its main branch. Dema, Baliadanga, Holdah, Khegraghat, Kalia, Hedayetpur etc. villages of Dema Union under Bagerhat Sadar Upazila are crisscrossed by the river Hojir Khal and its offshoot canals and several thousand shrimp farms of the Union are situated by the both sides of them (river Hojir Khal and its offshoot canals). But a number of local influential people are cultivating shrimps after illegally constructing a number of cross dams over this flowing river. As a result, natural flow of the water of the river was suspended and shrimp farms situated by the both sides of its offshoot canals are not getting sufficient water for cultivation of shrimps. As a result, the insufficient water of shrimp farms is heated with scorching sun at day time and as a result, shrimps are dying in large scale.
For the same reason professions of the local people and the bio-diversity of the area are also affected. The local people are strongly demanding the removal of cross dams of the river Hojir Khal in order to maintain its water flow normal for the greater interest of the area and the people.
