3.1 Fisheries extension services organisation
3.2 Extension policy, planning and programmes
3.3 Methods and systems of extension
3.4 Transfer of culture technologies
3.5 Input supply and subsidies
3.6 Control mechanisms
3.7 Extension and research linkage
3.8 NGOs in extension
Agriculture has a separate department for agricultural extension, but there is no clearly defined set-up for fisheries and aquaculture extension. The Department of Fisheries (DOF) is responsible for providing, inter alia, fisheries extension services. In the official organogram there is no division or section for fisheries extension. At the national level, there is a post of Chief Fisheries Extension Officer (CFEO), created through the development project “Scheme for strengthening of fisheries extension service in Bangladesh (1975-80)”. Upon the termination of the project, the post of CFEO was transferred to the revenue budget.
The post of CFEO had the salary level of District Fishery Officer (DFO). The salary scale of DFO has been subsequently revised upward thrice, while the CFEO’s scale remains unchanged. Since its transfer to the revenue budget, the post has seldom been occupied by a full-time person, since the appointed person is normally assigned other tasks or is asked to perform the CFEO duties in addition to his own. This situation reflects the lack of importance given to leadership in fisheries extension.
The DOF provides extension work through the revenue (permanent) set up as well as development (temporary) set up. The revenue set up consists of four Divisional Deputy Directors (DDs), 64 District Fisheries Officers (DFOs) and 456 Thana Fishery Officers (TFOs) earlier designated as Upazila Fishery Officer, 456 Assistant Fisheries Officers (AFOs) and 456 Field Assistants (FAs). TFOs are the entry level officers in the fisheries cadre service; the requirement for the post is a B.Sc. Fisheries (Hons.). However, those promoted may have lower qualifications. Each TFO is assisted by an Assistant Fisheries Officer (AFO) and a Field Assistant (FA); both under the revenue budget. The entry qualifications for the posts are respectively Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and Secondary School Certificate (SSC) with science, although some AFOs and FAs have higher qualifications.
The DOF has 88 fish seed farms (FSF) which are used as centres for demonstration and extension of and training in hatchery and fry raising techniques for hatchery operators, fry raisers, fish farmers and DOF extension staff. Each FSF has a Farm Manager whose entry qualification is B.Sc. Fisheries (Hons.)/M.Sc. Facilities in the FSFs include hatchery facilities, tubewells, dormitories, nursery and broodstock ponds.
Besides the routine extension efforts, the DOF offers extension services through development projects. Out of 33 projects implemented during 1991-95, 21 had aquaculture related work and extension activities (Table 13). The DOF personnel responsible for aquaculture extension receive in-country and foreign training for various lengths of time.
Aquaculture is a high priority development area in Bangladesh. Because of continuous deterioration of open water fisheries due to natural and man-induced changes in the fish habitats and fish populations, the Government has endeavoured to increase fish production through aquaculture. The revised Annual Development Programme 1995-96 for the fisheries sub-sector included 28 projects costing Tk.6,580 million; 21 projects costing Tk.6,123 million were devoted to aquaculture projects. Out of the total ADP (revised) 1995-96 allocation of Tk.958.12 million, aquaculture-related undertakings received an estimated Tk.600 million. Projects included in the ADP (revised) 1995-96) are shown in Table 14.
Table 14. Fisheries projects and allocations in the annual dev’t programme (revised) 1995-96.
| Sl |
Project | Project
cost | ADP
allocation | Project
aids source |
|
| Department of Fisheries on-going
projects | |
| |
| 01. |
Second Aquaculture Development Project (ADB) |
938.400 | 280.00 |
ADB |
| 02. |
Beel and Baor fisheries development |
353.66 | 34.00 |
DANIDA/IFAD |
|
03. | Third Fishery Project |
1,454.36 | 324.40 |
ODA/UNDP/IDA |
|
04. | Aquaculture extension,
Mymensingh | 367.00 |
41.00 | DANIDA |
| 05 |
Patuakhali and Barguna fisheries development |
242.33 | 0.20 |
DANIDA |
|
06. | Aquaculture development
and extension in Bogra | 33.00 |
0.50 | |
| 07. |
Carp-Galda mixed culture in the greater Noakhali district |
378.00 | 0.20 |
DANIDA |
|
08. | Completion of incomplete
work in integrated fisheries | 5.00 |
5.00 | GOB |
| 09. |
Aquaculture extension at thana level |
75.00 | 5.00 |
GOB |
| 10. |
Food assisted integrated aquaculture |
662.00 | 51.00 |
EEC |
| 11. |
Shrimp landing & service centres |
91.20 | 5.00 |
GOB |
| 12. |
Fish fingerling stocking in open waters |
288.00 | 23.00 |
GOB |
| 13. |
Aquaculture training and extension |
83.97 | 17.30 |
ODA |
| |
New projects | |
| GOB |
| 14. |
Infrastructure for shrimp culture in the private sector |
550.00 | 2.50 |
GOB |
| 15. |
Protection of shrimp hatchery sites at Kolatoli, Cox’s Bazar, from erosion |
45.30 | 2.50 |
GOB |
| 16. |
Northwest aquaculture extension (Phase 2) |
190.89 | 0.10 |
ODA |
| 17. |
HACCP-based fish quality control |
4.20 | 773.40 |
GOB |
| 18. |
Community based open water fisheries management and development |
8.63 | 4.20 |
UNDP/FAO |
|
19. | Management of coastal
fisheries in the Bay of Bengal | 14.76 |
1.00 | Ford Foundation |
| |
DOF on-going + New | 5786.51 |
976.90 | |
| |
Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation New Projects |
| |
|
| 20. |
Fisheries development and enhancement in Kaptai lake |
99.98 | 5.00 |
GOB |
| |
SUB-TOTAL = BFDC | 99.98 |
5.00 | |
| |
Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock On-going projects |
| |
|
| 21. |
Integrated aquaculture in FCDI and other areas |
417.60 | 56.80 |
WFP |
| 22. |
Marine fisheries academy | 33.18 |
10.00 | GOB |
| 23. |
Integrated aquaculture (Duckweed) |
64.55 | 15.00 |
UNCDF |
|
| SUB-TOTAL = MOFL |
515.33 | 71.22 |
|
| 24. |
Fisheries research development |
39.00 | 23.00 |
|
| 25. |
Hilsa fishery research | 18.14 |
3.00 | Australia
ACIAR |
| 26. |
Aquaculture research for sustainable development |
9.93 | 3.00 |
USAID/ICLARM |
|
27. | Evaluation of genetically
Improved tilapia | 1.48 |
1.50 | ICLARM |
| |
SUB-TOTAL = FRI | 68.55 |
30.00 | |
| |
Bangladesh Water Development Board On-going project |
| |
|
| 28. |
Completion of incomplete work in shrimp culture project in chakoria and Moheskhali |
110.00 | 55.00 |
GOB |
| |
Total Fisheries Sub-Sector | 6,580.37 |
958.12 | |
Extension describes all organised communication efforts by which an agency or individual tries to bring about changes in the knowledge, attitudes, skills and behaviour of a client population, in order to reach one or more objectives that have been established within the framework of an overall development policy (Jungeling, 1993). In precise terms, extension is an organised, collective effort; it works with, and for, a client population; and it serves a development policy.
3.3.1 Individual methods
Service to office callers. The fisheries officers at thana, district, division and national levels offer technical advice to the individual office callers.
Farm visits. The extension staff, on a farmer’s specific request, visit his farm for any specific investigations and advice.
Mail service. Farmers may receive advice on mail service.
3.3.2 Group methods
Training and workshops. Training and workshops are frequently organised at thana and district levels for the farmers. Training sessions are also organised at the DOF fish seed farms and training centres.
Informal meetings. Informal meetings are a common practice in establishing feedback between the farmers and the extension workers.
Demonstrations, training and visits. Demonstrations of new or improved culture or hatchery techniques are provided either in a suitably located private or Government-owned pond. In either case the demonstrations are open to any interested persons. In the case of private ponds, extension workers provide the pond owner with repeated training and advice. The pond owner is expected to extend the new knowledge and techniques to fellow farmers who, in turn, are expected to disseminate the knowledge to more farmers. Whenever and wherever this method has been organised properly, the new information has trickled down to a large number of farmers in a short time. The trickle-down system (TDS) of extension was introduced under an FAO/UNDP project, “Institutional Strengthening in the Fisheries Sector.” The system works (as described by NACA) as follows:
3.3.3 Mass media
Newspaper, radio, television, posters, etc. are used to disseminate basic information and simple technologies.
3.3.4 Print publications
Pamphlets, booklets, manuals, bulletins, hand-outs, and other forms are prepared and distributed to the farmers.
3.3.5 Extension and training centres
Fish culture training centres. The DOF has established training centres at Faridpur, Kotchandpur (Jessore), Parbatipur, Raipur (Laksmipur) and Chandpur with hatchery, fish brood, and nursery ponds and dormitory facilities. These facilities at Chandpur training centres have been transferred to the Fisheries Research Institute. Besides the above five centres, demonstrations and extension of and training in induced breeding of fish, nursery rearing of hatchling and fingerling of carp and rearing of growout fish are provided at 83 fish seed farms where also fish hatchery, brood and nursery ponds and dorm facilities have been developed. The DOF has mini carp hatcheries in 16 thanas.
Shrimp training centres. Five shrimp hatcheries and five shrimp demonstration farms have been established by DOF in various places where technology demonstrations and training are provided to the farmers and officers. Aquaculture-related training is also provided by FRI in four centres - Mymensingh, Chandpur, Paikgacha and Cox’s Bazar.
Grameen Bank has taken over 10 of the fish seed farms of DOF and operate them on commercial basis. The Grameen Bank operations produce some demonstration effects in the villages.
3.4.1 Artificial spawning of carp
The most popular species for culture include various species of Indian major carp (Labeo rohita, Catla catla and Cirrhina mrigala) and recently, several species of Chinese carp (silver carp, common carp, mirror carp, grasscarp, bighead carp). In 1978, the DOF produced an estimated 200 kg of spawn through induced breeding techniques (Karim 1979). In the same year, spawn collected from the wild accounted for an estimated 5,000 kg or 96 percent of the total spawn used in the country.
The situation gradually reversed and in 1994, 72,536 kg or 93 percent of the total carp spawn (78,400 kg), produced in the country came from hatcheries (DOF, 1993-94). This was made possible through training and demonstration on induced breeding techniques to the private sector at the DOF’s 88 demonstrations and training centres and through various extension methods. Presently, the 439 private fish hatcheries produce 69,356 kg of spawn which is 96 percent of the total spawn produced by both the private and Government hatcheries, and 88 percent of the overall total spawn produced through the hatcheries and collected from the wild.
3.4.2. Induced breeding of other fish species
Induced breeding techniques for African magur Clarias gariepinus, local magur C. batrachus and the techniques of hybridisation between the two species have been established and extended to many hatchery operators. C. gariepinus was introduced in Bangladesh from Thailand in 1990. Artificial spawning of this species, nursery rearing of its fry, hybridisation between C. gariepinus and C. batrachus (local species) and nursery rearing of hybrid fry, and others were first made at the Fisheries Faculty, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh in 1991. The institutional strengthening project (BGD/87/045) extended support to the venture.
Induced breeding techniques of Rajpunti (Puntias gonionatus), Pangus (Pangasius sutchi), Gulsha (Mystus cavasius), Pabda (Callicrous pabda) have been recently established in Bangladesh through FRI. Induced breeding techniques are spreading fast through the joint efforts of DOF and FRI.
3.4.3 Hatchery techniques for shrimp
Hatchery techniques for brackishwater shrimp bagda or black tiger shrimp (P. monodon) and the freshwater giant shrimp or galda (M. rosenbergii) have been extended to many entrepreneurs. Since 1990, about 5 marine shrimp hatcheries and 15 freshwater shrimp hatcheries have been under various stages of development in the private sector. Although efforts are continuing, there has been limited success in mastering shrimp hatchery technologies and the contribution of hatcheries to the overall production of shrimp fry is still insignificant.
3.4.4 Polyculture of carp in ponds
Mixed culture of several species of carps viz., Rohu (L. rohita), Catla (C. catla), mrigal (Cirrhina mrigala), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and Raj punti has become a popular extension topic in Bangladesh. For carp culture, fingerlings 10-15 cm in size are recommended. However, polyculture with the above species and fingerlings of the above size range is not easy to practice in Bangladesh. At present, there is no arrangement for rearing multispecies fingerling in large numbers close to the village ponds. Consequently, most farmers find it difficult to adopt the culture practice as advised by the fisheries extension staff. However, in well managed polyculture ponds, achieving a production level of 4000 kg/ha per crop with the application of fertiliser and feed of plant origin (rice bran, wheat bran, oilcake) is not uncommon.
3.4.5 African magur (Clarias gariepinus) and its hybrid culture
Because of the relatively easy artificial breeding technology, quick growth, resistance to stressful environments and other factors, many farmers have adopted the culture of the African magur, and many large private magur farms have been established. Techniques on the culture of the hybrid between the African and local magur is also being extended. Hybrid culture has some limitations because the fecundity of the females of the local species is very low. Female African magur has high fecundity. But the hybrid offspring of male C. batrachus X female C. gariepinus is not viable.
3.4.6 Fish culture in pens
Carp culture in pens in some irrigation canals has been successfully demonstrated by the FRI, with a production of close to 3000 kg/ha achieved. The technology is being extended to more farmers, and the extension of pen culture in Bangladesh has bright possibilities..
3.4.7. Other culture technologies
The FRI has developed other culture technologies, and their extension to the farmers is being planned.
a. Monoculture of red tilapia and Raj punti and polyculture of Rajpunti, red tilapia, silvercarp and mirrorcarp in small seasonal ponds. The above technologies are based on fertilisation and feeding with plant ingredients. Achievable production of 1800-2500 kg and profit of Tk. 60,000-70,000/ha in about 6 months time is feasible.
b. Carp nursery rearing at high stocking density. The technology consists of nursery rearing of 5 day old carp spawn to about 7 cm size fingerling under high stocking conditions. The feasible production rate is 800,000 fingerling with 60 per cent survival in 3 months time. Small ponds not exceeding 25 decimal size, and water depth of 90-150 cm is recommended.
c. Integrated farming of fish and poultry. In this farming system, the birds are kept in a poultry house constructed on a fish pond. About 180-200 birds (layer or broiler) are kept for every acre (2.47 acre=1 ha) of pond area. Bird droppings are sufficient to fertilize the pond. Fish in the ratio of catla 10-20 percent, silver carp 30-40 percent, rohu 25-30 percent, mrigal 20-25 percent, or common carp 5-10 percent). Production in such a system may be in the range of 1800-2100 kg/acre or 4500-5200 kg/ha. Six batches of broiler chickens (each weighing 1.5-1.8 kg) can be raised each year. Each layer bird can produce an average of 65-75 eggs. Profit may reach Tk. 70,000/acre/year.
d. Fish culture in association with paddy. The technology is applied in transplanted aman paddy fields which are flooded to a shallow depth of about 30 cm with monsoon water. A part of the lowlying area is diked out. About 2 percent of the diked area is excavated into a ditch, 60-100 cm deep, which can provide fish with shelter in case of drought. Rajpunti, nilotica and mirrorcarp fingerlings are stocked at the rate of 12 per decimal (2,964/ha), 8-10 days after transplanting paddy seedlings. Rice bran is given as feed. The technology yields 100-120 kg of fish with an additional income of Tk 5,000-6,000 per acre in about 4 months time.
e. Pangus culture with carp in ponds. Following the introduction of Thai pangus (Pangasius sutchi) and the successful adoption of its artificial breeding and nursery rearing technologies, pond culture of this species together with carp has been established. The culture technology which is extended at the farmers level consists of pre-stocking pond preparations for carp ponds, stocking up to 8,000 pangus fingerling with 2000 carp fingerling per ha, post-stocking fertilisation and feeding with diets rich in animal protein. The production rate under good management is 5000-7000 kg/ha; pangus accounts for about 80 percent of the production. Some experimental projects have demonstrated a yearly profit Tk. 190,000-200,000/ha.
3.4.8 Small indigenous fish species culture
The nutritional value of many small indigenous fish species (SIS), particularly with regard to vitamin A and calcium, is much higher than that of major carp. The species diversity of Bangladesh is under threat. Many types of small and seasonal waters may be better suited to the cultivation of varieties of SIS. Taking the above facts into consideration, the DOF plans to implement pilot demonstrations on the culture of SIS through the Integrated Food Assisted Development Project (IFADEP) funded by the EU. The selected species for culture are Mola (Amblypharyngodon mola), Kholisha (Colisa Fasciatus), Bhangd (Cirrhina veba), Bata (Labeo bata), Baim (Macrognathus aculeatus) and Dhela (Rohtee cotio).
3.4.9 Marine shrimp culture
Improved extensive culture
Improved extensive type of culture of marine shrimp (Bagda, Penaeus monodon) alternating with paddy or salt is being extended to the farmers. The FAO/SIDA Bay of Bengal Programme, First Aquaculture Development Project (ADB), Shrimp Culture Project (IDA), Third Fisheries Project (World Bank), and the Second Aquaculture Development Project (ADB) have all contributed to the national effort in transferring improved shrimp culture technology. The improved extensive culture technology in its present form includes the following main features:
Without artificial feeding, the above technology, wherever properly applied, has produced 350-450 kg/ha of exportable shrimp as against 150-175 kg under the traditional system. However, much of the extension efforts for improving upon the traditional culture system go to waste because the technology is difficult to apply in most of the farms. The reasons are as follows:
a. Most of the ponds are unmanageably large (average is 15 ha) with irregular shapes and uneven bottoms, shallow depths (mostly 30-60 cm, as against the required depth of 1 m), inadequate sluices, water supply and drainage network.Semi-intensive cultureb. Ponds are mostly in lands taken on short-term (1-3 years) lease; the lessees therefore are unable to excavate the land for construction of canals for water distribution, higher peripheral dikes to hold an appropriate depth of water and partition dikes to reduce pond size into easily manageable units.
c. The ponds are therefore mostly exceedingly large and shallow with water depths hardly exceeding 45 cm as against the required 1 m depth. Because of the large size and shallow depth of the ponds, it is very difficult to enhance pond productivity by pest control, fertilisation, feeding, water exchange, or any other improved management technique.
An acceptable definition for semi-intensive culture (which is briefly described in an earlier section) does not exist. In Bangladesh, the term is loosely used assigning no upper limit of stocking rate. Impressive production rates were demonstrated at first, exceeding 5 mt/ha in 4-5 months of the culture period in 1993. The high production rates, although achieved in only some farms for one season, evoked a great deal of enthusiasm among many entrepreneurs and financial institutions on semi-intensive shrimp culture. Unfortunately, most of the semi-intensive farms in 1994 suffered mass mortalities due to white spot viral disease presumably carried to Bangladesh through the fry imported from certain disease-affected countries. A similar disaster recurred in 1995 and 1996, in the latter being more pervasive, affecting both semi-intensive and extensive farms almost throughout the entire marine shrimp farming belt.
3.4.10 Galda farming
Farming of freshwater shrimp, Galda (M. rosenbergii) is an important economic activity that has been undertaken for the last 5-7 years. The DOF has attempted to bring about improvements in traditional culture system through an Asian Development Bank-assisted project (Second Aquaculture Development Project) which started in 1991. The extension advice and training provided by this project relate to pond engineering, pre-stocking pond preparations, use of lime and fertilisers, rational feeding, record keeping, periodic harvesting, and postharvest care. The technology also encourages the use of a supplementary source of water, recognising the wisdom of not entirely depending on rainwater. This stretched the effective culture period. Galda culture mixed with surface feeding and phytophagus carp species; and aquaculture alternating with a short duration paddy crop was the preferred farming system which was promoted through the project.
3.4.11 Transfer of technologies by extension services
Government efforts at transferring the above technologies have from time to time led to changes in the Government extension service organisation. The extension techniques are of the same general pattern as discussed under section 3.3. Individual and group extension approaches, the use of mass media, training and visits at demonstration farms are the usual extension techniques. Under certain projects, contract farmers are provided with interest-free loans for selected production inputs in order to expedite adoption of new technology.
3.4.12 Record-keeping
Keeping of records of pond condition, input supply, environmental parameters, fish growth, production, sales proceeds, income and expenditures, profit-loss is not common among farmers. Data only for those private ponds selected as demonstration ponds under development projects are recorded by the extension staff or by farmers themselves. Different projects use different types of record books or registers. A set of record keeping forms, used by an ADB financed project (Second Aquaculture Development Project) is shown in Annex 2.
The principal production inputs include stocking materials, lime, organic manure, chemical fertilisers and feed.
3.5.1 Fish seed
Most of the required fish seed is produced in hatcheries. However, the production plan of any hatchery does not seem to be linked with actual needs, in terms of the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the seed and the hatchery’s command area. Thus, hatcheries often produce fry of species that are not suitable for the water bodies under the hatchery’s command area. Consequently, the farmers are unable to stock their ponds with suitable species of fry/fingerling. Also, there is no arrangement for large-scale production of big size (10-15 cm in the case of carp) fingerlings at the village level. As they are unable to obtain fingerling of appropriate species-mix and of adequate size close to their ponds, the farmers stock small size fry of whatever species is available. The situation does not permit the farmers to adopt the popular multi-species culture and the recommended stocking of large size fingerling.
Availability of fry/fingerling of non-carp fish species at the village level is also limited. Besides, the slow transportation system and poor methods of transport for fry or fingerling also contribute to poor survival, growth and production of fish. Some measures recommended to develop fish culture include the following:
3.5.2 Shrimp seed
Over 93 percent of the shrimp fry come from the wild. The number of wild bagda fry produced through the seed collectors is estimated at 3,600 million. It is also estimated that about 80 percent of the seed collected suffer transportation and post-stocking mortalities. The best stocking months for most of the marine shrimp (tiger shrimp) culture areas is February-March. It is not possible to collect all the seed required for the total tiger shrimp culture area during the two months. Stocking is therefore often delayed or staggered over several months, which exposes culture operations to environmental hazards like cyclones, tidal bores, flash floods, sudden dilution of river salinity, and the onset of the monsoon season.
The fluctuating supply of wild seed is another problem. For example, the supply remarkably declined in 1995 and 1996. Consequently, there were unprecedented hikes in the seed price. Taking advantage of the scarcity and the resulting high price of shrimp fry, some people imported millions of fry from Thailand and a few other countries where virulent viral diseases occurred, including white spot virus (WSV) disease. This resulted in recurrent mass mortalities of cultured shrimp for the last several years.
WSV first made its appearance in Bangladesh in 1994 and caused heavy damage to cultured shrimp in the intensive and semi-intensive farms in the southeastern part of the country. This disease recurred with greater severity in 1996 and spread throughout the country, affecting all types of farms: intensive, semi-intensive and extensive. The disease caused huge economic losses to the farmers in particular and the country in general.
Shrimp hatchery development is in its infancy. Not more than five hatcheries produce marine shrimp fry, and in 1996 their combined output was estimated at 50 million postlarvae. There are about 30 freshwater shrimp hatcheries in various stages of development in several places. The total output from these hatcheries in 1996 was estimated at 10 million. The rest of the stocking material for about 10,000-13,000 ha of freshwater shrimp farms is collected from the wild.
3.5.3 Manure and fertiliser
Manure
Cowdung is the main source of organic manure. Poultry excreta is available in very limited scale and only in a few places. The conversion of plant matter such as weeds, tree leaves and water hyacinth into compost for manuring purposes has been seldom practised. Cowdung has competing uses. In the rural areas its importance as fuel is next to agricultural wastes, and as such its supply is limited. Cowdung is used only in freshwater ponds, although the dosage used by the farmers is in most cases much below the required level. In the brackishwater shrimp farms, cowdung or any other organic manure is not used at all, partly because of the huge volume required and partly because of the difficulty in access (as the farm areas are far from the cattle sheds).
Fertilisers
Chemical fertilisers used in aquafarms include urea, triple superphosphate (TSP) and muriate of potash (MP). These are available locally although their prices vary from place to place and the quality of TSP is often doubtful.
3.5.4 Feeds
For fishponds, feeds normally consist of rice bran, wheat bran and mustard oilcake which are available in the local markets. Freshwater shrimp and some catfish culture are primarily based on snail meat. Artificially formulated pellet feed with animal protein is not normally used in fishponds. Some catfish farms, however, use formulated pellet feed. Fishmeal, vitamins and mineral-rich feed are specially formulated for shrimp farming. The price of such feed produced locally is high and the quality is often not standardised. Fishmeal supply in Bangladesh is limited. Expansion of fish or shrimp feed industry without large-scale imports of fishmeal is not feasible. At present, the total production of industrial feed ranges from 6,000 to 7,000 tonnes from the existing three fish feed plants.
3.5.5 Subsidy
Aquaculture farmers are not provided with subsides, but the Government allows duty-free import of selected items required for aquaculture or aquaculture industries. Income from aquaculture is income-tax free until the year 2000. Bank loans are also available for aquaculture-based projects.
The project monitoring process starts at the project level where all Project Directors are required to submit reports monthly, quarterly, bi-annually and annually. These reports are prepared according to standard formats established by the IMED and provide most of the data used by the executing agencies. Line ministries and the IMED monitor the financial and physical progress of development projects. In the executing agencies there are planning and implementation sections. The implementation sections are responsible for monitoring all projects included in the ADPs and for directing problem-solving efforts of the agencies. Projects are monitored individually, by project type (Investment or Technical Assistance) and for the agency as a whole. The responsibility for conducting project evaluations usually lies with the agency planning cell.
Every line ministry has a Planning Cell which monitors disbursement of funds allocated to each project in the ADPs and the physical delivery of targeted outputs. Project financial and physical delivery performance is reviewed monthly at a ministry level review meeting attended by Project Managers, staff of the Implementation and Planning Units in the executing agencies, and representatives from the IMED and other concerned GOB agencies such as the ERD.
At the national level, the IMED is the central monitoring unit for all development project activities in the public sector in Bangladesh. It prepares status reports for the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for review. Such a report is prepared quarterly, bi-annually and annually along with recommendations to address any bottleneck. On the basis of these reports the NEC makes decisions which are binding on all ministries and agencies.
The FRI and some universities undertake original and adaptive research activities. The useful research results are supposed to be transmitted by the extension staff to the producers. The problems faced by the producers in the field are brought by the extension staff to the attention of the researchers who would then attempt to find solutions to such problems. Continuous feedback between the producers and the researchers is maintained. The extension agents must serve as the medium for the two-way communication.
As the FRI is administratively under the MFL, there are opportunities for interactions between DOF and FRI. The FRI’s Governing Body that decides research policy matters and the Committee that recommends implementation of any new research projects are represented by the high-level officials of the DOF. Unfortunately, the officers who attend such meetings on behalf of their organisations seldom share their experiences with junior and field level officers. In other words, there is insufficient two-way traffic of information between the field level extension officers and the research policy level people.
Research results in the form of reports, booklets, posters and other forms are delivered by the FRI to the DOF authorities who in turn make the information available at the field level fisheries officers for dissemination to the farmers level.
The field level scenario is not very satisfactory. It is expected that the DOF field level officers should closely monitor field problems that deter the smooth adoption of the new technologies at the farmers level, but this is not effectively done. According to the official charter of duties, the Thana Fisheries Officer (TFOs) should devote maximum time to aquaculture extension and resource inventory, but in reality, they are busy most of the time with multifarious work and ad hoc duties assigned by their superior officers. As a result, farmers’ problems (technical, financial or administrative) remain unheard and unsolved. Research priorities, selection of specific research subjects and the techniques used at the research organisations are often of little use to the farmers’ immediate needs. Thus there is a gap in the extension system.
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), both national and international, play an important role in aquaculture development. Out of 772 NGOs listed in the Directory of PVDOs/NGOs in Bangladesh prepared in 1995 by ADAB, about 300 are said to be involved in aquaculture activities. Some information about 13 selected NGOs with substantial involvement in aquaculture development has been collected. Their main involvement relates to organising and training the landless and assetless people in aquaculture, creating opportunities for the trained people to earn their livelihood through fish farming in Government owned water bodies, and organising institutional loans for the target groups. Aquaculture activities include hatchery operation, nursery rearing of fry and fingerling, growout operations, and socio-economic studies of the fish farmers.
