Efforts on to raise breeding of Hilsha fish

By Al-Imran Shobhon bdnews24.com Chandpur correspondent Chandpur, Oct 30 (bdnews24.com)--Around 12,000 crore Jatka will be saved for the next year if 15 percent Hilsha eggs, spawned in the seven coastal Hilsha breeding zones, can be preserved, said Hilsha fish researcher Anisur Rahman.. Only 16 to 18 percent mother Hilshas were able to spawn this year while it was 38 percent last year. Therefore, Hilsha production will be less next year, he told bdnews24.com. Still, the quantity of spawned eggs is over 200 metric tonnes this year, said Rahman, a senior scientist at Chandpur branch of Fish Research Institute. "Especially lots of fries were seen at Hatia and Moulvichar in Noakhali and at Charfashion in Bhola," he said. A nine-member research team led by Rahman returned to Chandpur town after a field trip to the Hilsha breeding zones from Oct 20 to 29. They were working in seven breeding zones to measure the quantity of Hilsha netted during the breeding season and its effect on total Hilsha production. Loads of Hilsha were netted in the breeding zones, especially at Sakuchia, Hajirhat and Ramnewaj of Monpura in Bhola, ignoring the ten-day government ban from Oct 15 to 24, alleged Rahman. "Moreover, the full-moon appeared before the ban causing loads of mother Hilshas to be netted. "Furthermore, the lower level of alkaline in the water reduces the fish feed, leaving adolescent Hilsha malnourished," Rahman pointed out. The alkaline level is only 7 in the Meghna of Shaitnol zone while it should have been 7.5, he said. Around 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of Hilsha can be obtained in the next season in Sep-Oct by banning fishing in March-April in the Hilsha sanctuaries, said Rahman. This year the amount of Hilsha production was 2.9 lakh metric tonnes. A part of their research activities, the team is staying at Monpura to examine the amount of fries caught in the experimental nets and see how many mother Hilshas were able to spawn during the ban. Also, they will study the characteristics of water in the breeding zones. The seven Hilsha breeding zones are Shaitnol (Chandpur), Kaliganj (Barisal), Ilishghat (Bhola), Monpura (Charfashion, Bhola), Moulvichar (Hatia, Noakhali), Ramgati (Laxmipur) and Charludhua (Laxmipur). Three other research assistants in the Hilsha research team are Md Nuruzzaman, Abdus Salam and Abdul Gafur. bdnews24.com/corr/ans/dg/ec/1143h.