Fish breeding has started in five villages in Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, with the aim of creating local jobs and improving incomes. About 3,000 fingerlings were put into the Mawrawady fish firm in southern Maungdaw on July 20. The remaining farms will also receive fingerlings of various species, such as Hamilton’s carp and tilapia. Four fish ponds have been dug in Khayemyaing, Shwebahol, Mawrawady and Phawutchaung villages. A pond in Aungzeya village is still being dug. The Rakhine State government has planned fish pond projects on 138 acres in 82 villages in Maungdaw District. It has allotted Ks 6 million for each of the above five fish firms. The district has two fingerling camps, which produce several species of fish, including tilapia. After four to six months of fish breeding, fish can be caught for sale. Since the attacks by Rohingya rebels in Maungdaw in October, residents have faced difficulty earning livings because they have not been allowed to work outside their communities.