By AKM Kamal Uddin Chowdhury 

DHAKA, Jan 10, 2025 (BSS) - Urging the authorities concerned to take proper steps for making mariculture popular, experts of the fisheries sector observed that marine farming could be a great way to enhance fish production without affecting wild stocks.
 
They mentioned that the marine resources of Bangladesh are rich in biodiversity and support the livelihood of a large number of coastal people.

They said that the production of marine fish is declining, indicating that the marine fish stocks are under severe exploitation. So, it is necessary to develop new alternatives for fish production that don't affect wild stocks, they added. 

Talking to BSS, Shafiqur Rahman, chief scientific officer and centre chief of the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI), Cox's Bazar, said that mariculture could be a great way to enhance production without affecting wild stocks.

It is the right time to think about how to increase the marine production, and the mariculture initiatives should be taken now, he added. 

Mariculture, also known as marine farming or marine aquaculture, is the practice of raising marine organisms for food and other products. It involves cultivating aquatic plants and animals in a controlled environment, such as a coastal pond, cage, or enclosure.

Shafiqur Rahman said initiating cage culture or pen culture activities in coastal water with suitable species would enhance fish production in addition to some extra economic benefits. 

"Several studies have shown that cage aquaculture in coastal water is suitable for a variety of species considering its water quality parameters for fish culture. In addition, it also secures the livelihood of coastal fishers," he added.

Furthermore, he said, proper optimization of these systems maximizes coastal habitat fish production by utilizing a variety of natural feed. 

Despite all these potentials, some challenges have to be faced in the case of coastal cage culture here in Bangladesh, he added. 

He said there is the lack of suitable seed, feed and financial support, in addition to the impact of climate change.

Shafiqur Rahman informed that over the last 30 years, marine finfish culture in cages has been dramatically increasing. 

"Seabass (lates calcarifer) is a potential candidate for coastal cage culture. Seabass is mostly cultured in ponds adjacent to coastal areas or in cages located in estuaries or coastal areas," he added. 

Though Bangladesh has a huge coastal area, he said, no coastal cage culture system was reported yet, he said. 

Presently, he said, the most pressing issue for Bangladesh in coastal cage culture is the 'selection of suitable culture area'. 

 To address SDG's blue economy issue, he said, it is most important to use the coastal waters more efficiently and to emphasize increasing fish production through culture rather than putting pressure on vulnerable capture fisheries. 

Using these bodies of water for marine finfish cage culture will create jobs other than fishing, and fish productivity will rise, he added.

He said, "It would be ideal to build a seabass hatchery nearby. The coastal Cox's Bazar's unemployed people will move to finfish cage culture if seed availability is guaranteed."

He said research on the availability of seeds and the growing of young in nurseries should be conducted based on need, and this activity should be made more widely known.

Md Bodruzzaman, Cox's Bazar district fisheries officer, said the government is promoting fish farming in cages, known as cage culture, in the country. 

"Cage culture is a type of mariculture that uses cages to raise aquatic organisms. It's a promising aquaculture technology that could help address the growing demand for fish protein," he added.

Under the sustainable costal and marine fisheries project, he said, they have started fish farming through mariculture on trial basis.
 
Now, he said, cage culture is very popular for fish farming in rivers, canals, and lakes. But, it will also become popular in the coastal areas gradually, he added.