Prof A BM Mosharraf Husain, Bagerhat :
Due to prevailing abnormal scorching heat Shrimps known as white gold of Bangladesh are dying in a large scale in the fish farms in all the six Unions and Mongla Pourashava under Mongla Upazila in Bagerhat district, according to reports received here. During the last 2 weeks huge quantities of shrimps already died.
As a result, a great panic was created among the cultivators of shrimps and they were perplexed what to do. It is apprehended that if the shrimps die in such a large scale every day the (shrimp) cultivators of the Upazila will incur a heavy loss and the economy of the area will be shattered. On the other hand, due to the death of shrimps in the fish farms in large scale production of the shrimp of the Upazila will be far below the target
According to the Fishery Department, the reasons behind the death of shrimps in such a large scale are abnormal scorching heat of the sun, shortage of sufficient water in the fish farms, prevailing of abnormal salinity in water, the change of climate etc. It is learnt from Mongla Upazila Fishery Department that as Mongla Upazila and its adjacent areas are intensified with strong salinity shrimps have been cultivating in the area for more than 2 decades in stead of paddy which was once the main food grains and cash crop of the area and shrimps are cultivated for 8 months of the year. But at present shrimps are also cultivated in the big ponds along with lobsters. Shrimps are cultivated on 10 thousand 8 hundred 58 hectares of lands out total 12 thousand 5 hundred hectares of lands in Mongla Upazila and there are 5 thousand 6 hundred 4 big and small shrimp farms in the Upazila.
Md Abdul Karim, a former UP member of Mongla Upazilas and a shrimp cultivator of village Baidyamari in the same Upazila told the newsmen, I released shrimp fries in my fish farms in the month of February and from the middle of April shrimps have been dying regularly unabatedly in the fish farms and the dead shrimps are found floating by the sides of the enclosure embankments (Seemana Bheri). He further added, shrimps those are found alive in the fish farms are so weak to walk.
For all those reasons the shrimp cultivators of the Upazila have already been thrown into an utter distress. They apprehend that if the death of shrimps will continue in such a large scale they will not be able to repay their loans borrowed from the banks and money lenders for cultivation of the shrimps.
