Kabir Chowdhury, who hails from Dotto Pungoli village in Pabna’s Faridpur upazila, became unemployed about 10 years ago after suffering huge losses in his cattle feed business.
However, he has since found a new lease on life through cage fish farming, which is a type of aquaculture where fish are grown in floating net pens made of wood, bamboo or metal in natural water bodies.
Chowdhury and his friend Md Abdur Razzak Nayan spent about Tk 20,000 to begin cage fish farming in the Boral river near their residence a few years ago. Now, the pair earn about Tk 8-9 lakh annually.
various fishermen in Pabna’s Faridpur, Sujanagar and Ishwardi upazilas have set up cage fish farms along the Boral and Padma rivers.
There are now more than 500 cages in both rivers with a majority being in the Boral river. The farmers expect to collectively produce 200 tonnes of fish this season.
Md Abul Kalam Azad, the district fishery officer, said cage fish farming has been gaining popularity over the past eight to 10 years thanks to its high returns.
“Tilapia is the most highly cultivated breed of fish in the district but the Pabda and Tengra varieties are also being farmed in small cages in both rivers,” Azad said, adding that the fisheries department has taken various measures to help these farmers increase production.
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https://www.thedailystar.net/business/economy/news/cage-fish-farming-gaining-popularity-2957796