Shrimp Cultivation In Coastal Area.

4.1 INTRODUCTION

Shrimp culture in Bangladesh started to develop in the early 1970s. At that time there was little local demand and the price of shrimp was consequently very low. The potential of farmed shrimp as a hard currency earner was quickly realized by the private sector (Nuruzzaman, 1993). During this period the shrimp farming industry received little support from the Bangladesh Government. Only since 1980 with the introduction of Second Five-Year Plan (1980-85) has brackish water aquaculture been given official recognition and shrimp began to grow in coastal areas.

The department of Fisheries estimated that by the beginning of 1990 more than 115,000 ha had been turned over to shrimp farming activities in the whole Bangladesh. Shrimp farming take place in the district of Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Barisal, Patuakhali, Bhola, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar. The two most important areas lie to the north of Sundarbans (90,000 ha) and in the vicinity of Cox’s Bazar (24,000 ha).

4.2 BACKGROUND OF SHRIMP CULTURE

Marine and freshwater shrimp and prawn farming is century–old practice in many countries of Asia, although Bangladesh discovered this as an economic activity only during early 70s. Until a decade ago, this commodity was usually considered as a secondary crop achieved without any efforts by farming practices. In recent years (mid of 80s) when the income derived from the harvest of shrimp was much higher than the principal crops, consequently the shrimp ponds were constructed in coastal belt of the greater Khulna area.

Coastal fisheries consist primarily of brackish water shrimp farming. History of Shrimp cultivation is very old in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. Farmers use to cultivate shrimp in small scale for a long time especially in Khulna region. With recent rise in international demand and high price, brackish water shrimp culture in the coastal areas has become popular. Currently, brackish water shrimp aquaculture is practiced not only in Khulna region in the southwest but also in the Cox’s Bazar area in the southeast. Such farming is also spreading to other areas of the coast. Brackish water shrimp culture in the Khulna region is practiced through traditional Bheri culture method since 1950-60. (Nuruzzaman 1993). Earlier some contributions on the development of Bheri fishery has been made by Refauzi and nair (1944), Naidu (1952), Pillay (1954), Pillay et al., (1962), Parks et.al., (1962 & 1964) and Prakash (1965). Tidal water is exchanged in low-lying depression or gher embanked as farm areas. The ghers are connected to the tidal river or khal by making branches of canal. Entry of water is controlled through box sluice placed across the cut and made into a network of artificial channels inside the Gher.

The Bheri Fisheries practiced through ages in brackishwater tidal wetlands, namely mudflats, swamps, marshes, and paddy fields typically located in Khulna regions. This traditional fishery is reported to have first developed in spill area of Satkhira district, which have been silted due to sewage discharge for many years. In many cases certain portion of rivers, canals and spillway were embanked and converted into Bheri fisheries.

Although farmers have, in recent years, adopted a few innovations to improve their culture systems, the present day practice does not differ significantly from the traditional extensive method of Bheri culture. Under the present system, there is no way to segregate the shrimp post-larvae from the juveniles of predator fish entering into the ghers with tidal water or to control the member and species of shrimp that enter the farm. Hence, the yield is low when compared with achievable yield. This level of shrimp culture is termed as “extensive culture” in the shrimp culture sector.

In the Khulna region, the cropping pattern followed is, brackish water shrimp culture in the dry month followed by a crop of local variety of transplanted aman rice in the wet month from July-August to November-December on the same land inside the gher. In some areas, shrimps are grown as a single crop.

4.3 Geographical Distribution of Shrimp Farm

Brackish water shrimp culture is mostly practiced in low-lying tidal flats within Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) polders. The polder was originally constructed to prevent the land from brackish water inundation and to enable the reclaimed land to be used for agriculture. The shrimp farming activities had been started without the consent of the BWED, and one of the major concerns was the creation of unauthorized sluice gates or channels through perimeter of the polders along the riverbanks. Only those areas that were low enough to permit inundation of the land by at least 0.5 meter of water at spring tides had generally been used for shrimp farming.

A survey conducted by the Department of Fisheries revealed that in 1982-83 there were 51,835 ha of brackish water pond in Bangladesh. In 1984-85, the brackish water shrimp farming area was estimated at 70,331 ha (Aquatic Farms Ltd., Hawaii USA, engaged by the Asian Development Bank). The shrimp culture area thereafter further expanded and reached 108,280 ha in 1988 (DOF estimated). In 1993, this figure increased upto 125,235 ha (DOF &.Karim). The daily Ittefaque (16^th May’99) reported that the total area under shrimp cultivation rose to175000 ha which represent one tenth of the total area of the country. The table below shows the district wise shrimp culture area.

Table 2: District wise brackish water shrimp culture area in Bangladesh

District	1982-83		1984-85		1988-89	1993-94
	Ha	% of total	Ha	% of total	Ha	Ha	% of total
Cox’s Bazar & Chittagong	19539	37.7	24468	30.5	27453	27385	21.8
Bagerhat	11013	21.2	22158	31.5	79728	40740	32.5
Khulna	12817	24.7	13465	19.1	-	30187	24.1
Satkhira	8001	15.4	13240	18.8	-	23925	19.1
Others	465	0.9	-	-	1099	3000	2.4
Total	51835	100.00	70331	100.00	106280	125236	100.00

Source: (DOF, 1995)

4.3.1 Culture Ponds

Shrimp culture in Bangladesh is generally carried out in large tidal ponds that actually consist of a large number of contiguous private plots owned by several people. An entrepreneur farmer can take the land on lease for various length of time but normally does not take it for more than three years at a time. The entrepreneurs then separate out the leased area by erecting a high boundary dyke enclosing the land. A pond thus created has its own provision of water inlet and outlet, mostly made of wood. Masonry sluices or reinforced cement concrete (RCC) pipes are also used. The water control structures are usually imperfectly constructed. No engineering devices, such as cut-walls are adopted to effectively prevent water leakage. The wooden sluices are usually made with unseasoned and untreated wood and consequently gets deformed causes leak quickly (Karim, 1995). The ponds are shallow, generally not maintaining the required water depth. The pond bottoms are uneven, thereby hampering easy harvest of the cultured shrimp.

4.4 General Culture System

Brackish water aquaculture in Bangladesh is primarily shrimp oriented. The prime culture species Penaueus mondon is Bagda (black tiger shrimp),. The culture system is still traditional or at best improved traditional as it is called locally where the ponds are managed with little scientific knowledge.

4.4.1 Culture System during the ‘60s

In Bangladesh traditional method of shrimp cultivation is Gher culture. The Bengali word Gher means enclosed area. Brackishwater shrimp aquaculture in Khulna region was mainly practiced through traditional Bheri method during 1950-60 (Nuruzzaman, 1993). Ahmed (1956) reported that more than 100 paddy-cum-fish farms or bheries were in operation in Satkhira district around 1950. The fishery within the ghers consisted both shrimp and fish. Tidal water is exchanged in low-lying depressions embanked as unit farm. The gher areas are connected to the tidal canals by making sluices made at embankment breach of the Water Development Bounds regulation. Entry of water is controlled through the sluice into a network of natural or artificial channels inside the gher. During the month of February, March and April, when post-larvea (PL) of shrimps are abundant in the tidal canals, (the breeding of which takes placed in the sea and the estuarine waters) the tidal water carries juveniles of shrimp and fin-fish into the ghers during the high tides through the sluice. During the growing period, exchange of tidal water is done periodically during the tidal cycle. The young of fish and shrimp thus trapped inside the enclosures are allowed to grow until they attain harvestable size.

In the starting of monsoon season, the shrimp and fish are harvested and the rainwater would dilute the brackish water inside the ghers. Sluice gates are opened periodically to drain out water from inside the enclosures. The monsoon rain and successive draining of water would leach out salinity and make the land inside the enclosure fit for paddy cultivation. Farmers would then raise a crop of paddy between late July and December.

4.4.2 Culture System during the ‘70s

In the Seventies, when brackish water aquaculture started as an important economic activity, the culture system was quite primitive. The ponds were large and ill defined. Pre-stocking pond preparation techniques were not known. Farming was almost entirely dependant on the auto-stocking principle rather than on selective stocking with target species. Supplementary stocking with target species was the exception. Initial eradication and subsequent control of pest or competitor animals by poisoning or screening were not practiced. Ponds were shallow and often infested with aquatic vegetation. Liming and fertilization techniques were not perused. The need for stocking healthy fry and pre-stocking acclimatization of fry with pond water were not appreciated. The principles of water management to enhance and sustain the ponds natural productivity were not known. The farming system was not based on scientific knowledge and production depended on luck rather than on scientific technique.

4.4.3 Culture improvement effort during the ‘80s and ‘90s

From the early eighties, the Government of Bangladesh has been endeavoring to improve the traditional culture practices. The FAO/SIDA supported Bay of Bengal Programme, the first Aquaculture Development Project (ADB), the shrimp project(IDA), The second Aquaculture Development Project and third Fisheries Project (World Bank) have all contributed to the national effort in improving the traditional shrimp culture technology. Techniques that all these project have tried to transfer to the farmer during the last several years include:

- Nursery rearing of post-larvae;

- Pre-stocking pond preparation by drying, pest eradication and liming and fertilization to stimulate production of natural food organisms in the pond;

- Screening of the pond sluice with a fine-meshed synthetic screen to prevent or reduce intrusion of pest animals through incoming tides;

- Selective stocking with Bagda (tiger shrimp) post-larvae

- Maintenance of around 1m depth of water;

- Selection of healthy post-larvae and their acclimatization to the grow out pond water before stocking;

- Water management to sustain adequate and natural food production in the pond and to maintain appropriate levels of oxygen, p^Htemperature and salinity;

- Regular sampling of water quality

- Recording of input supply information, shrimp growth data; production and sale proceeds data;

- Post-harvest care; and

- Analysis of data for future improvement of culture operation

4.5. Various Cultures Practices in use

The predominant method of shrimp culture – Bangladesh is gher culture. Gher means enclosed area. Encirclement of land along the banks of tidal rivers with dwarf earthen dikes to control the free entrance of saline water into the enclosed areas controlled by small wooden sluice boxes. From February to April, sluice gates are opened to allow the entry of saline water with varieties of fish and post larvae of shrimp, which breed in the sea and the estuarine waters. The young of fish and shrimp thus trapped inside the enclosures, are allowed to grow until they attain harvestable size. In the starting of monsoon season, the shrimp and fish are harvested and the rainwater dilute the brackish water inside the ghers. Sluice gates are opened periodically to drain out water from inside the enclosures. The monsoon rain and successive draining would leach out salinity and make the land inside the enclosure suitable for paddy cultivation. Farmers then raise a crop of paddy between late July and December. This type of shrimp fish cultivation known as Bheri culture.

In the traditional type of ghers, where juveniles of fish and shrimp are allowed to enter into the ghers with tidal water during spring tides through sluices, a number of shrimp and fish would be available inside the gher. This practice of natural stocking in the gher is being progressively replaced by artificial stocking of the ghers with the young of desired species of shrimp. Figure 4.2 shows the brackish water shrimp and fish culture cropping pattern in the coastal area of Bangladesh.

4.5.1 Based on Species Mix

Mixed cultures of Bagda with heterogeneous species are included in this category. Screens are not used or are used only occasionally. In this type of culture, entry of non-predatory fish, e.g. mullets and such other of exportable shrimp as Penaeus indicus (white shrimp) and Metapnaeus monoceros (brown shrimp), are desired, but in this type culture some is highly predatory fish and crabs also enter the pond freely. Bagda fry is stocked separately.

Figure 4.2: The brackish water shrimp and fish culture cropping pattern in the coastal area of Bangladesh.

TRADITIONAL

Salt

PRESENT

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

A. Shrimp / Fish

Khulna / Satkhira

Cox’s Bazar

B. Shrimp/Fish/ Rice

Khulna / Satkhira

C. Shrimp / Salt

SEMI-INTENSIVE

INTENSIVE

(FUTURE)

Khulna / Satkhira

Cox’s Bazar

Note : Brackish water required throughout growth and production period is 15% of the total water volume exchanged / day

4.5.2 Based on alteration of crops

Bagda altering with paddy

February-Mid-August: Bagda (normally with heterogeneous shrimp and fish, which are either deliberately allowed to enter or are intruders)

Mid-August-December: Transplanted aman

Bagda altering with paddy is the most commonly practiced farming system in the coastal belt of the southwestern zone, which covers the Bagerhat, Khulna and Satkhira districts. During the high salinity period (February-July), marine and brackish water shrimp and fish are cultured. During fresh water or the low salinity period (August-December) cultivation of a salt resistant transplanted aman paddy is done in the elevated parts of the field. Simultaneously with the paddy, the leftover under-grown euryhaline shrimp and fish may continue to grow in the ditches of low-lying parts of the farm. Some farmers even combine freshwater shrimp (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and fish, e.g., tilapia, carp, Thai sharpunti, etc., with the euryhaline species.

Bagda altering with salt

December-April: Salt

May-December: Bagda (normally with intruder species)

In the eastern zone, where the salinity level in general is much higher than in the western zone, shrimp culture and salt production in rotation is the usual practice. Shrimp is cultured during the wet season, mid-May to mid-October, while salt is produced during the dry and high saline period of December-April.

4.5.3 Based on seasonal culture

Seasonal culture

February-mid-August: Most areas in the Khulna region and many places in Cox’s Bazar region.

May-November: In salt production areas in Chakoria, Maheskhali and Teknaf.

Perennial culture

In a few areas, where river salinity is suitably high the year round, shrimp is cultured almost perennially. Such farm area found in Shyamnagar, Koyra, Assasuni in the southwestern zone and Teknaf, Maheskhali and Cox’s Bazar thanas in the southeastern zone.

4.5.4. Based on the fry stocking and harvesting system

Continuous stocking and continuous harvesting

Be it seasonal or perennial culture, this involves one-time pond preparation in the beginning and one-time complete harvesting at the end. During the whole culture period, multiple stocking and harvesting are done. This is the usual practice amongst the farmers.

One-time stocking and periodic harvesting

In this case, there is one-time stocking in the beginning, periodic harvesting during the culture season and complete harvesting at the end of culture. A new culture cycle is restarted every 4-5 months after pond drying, liming and fertilization in double crop areas where suitable salinity is available for at least eight months. This type of culture is ideal, but most farmers do not practice it.

4.5.6. Based on water sources

Complete tide-dependent

This is far the most common culture practice. However, tidal inundation in the greater part of the farming area is February, which marks the beginning of the culture season, is quite inadequate. The land is relatively high compared to the tidal height. Most of the farming areas in Bagerhat District, nearly three-fourths of the area in Cox’s Bazar District, and more than 50 per cent of the area in Khulna and Satkhira District cannot be tidally inundated under even 50 cm of water at the beginning of the culture season. Yet, the farms depend upon the tide alone. Chakoria and Rampal are the two thanas, which have largest areas of Bagda farms, but they are amongst the worst from the tidal point of view of tidal inundation. Supplemental pumping could significantly increase productivity here, but it is not used ( Karim, 1995).

Complete pump-dependent

Several hundred ponds in Kaliganj and Shyamnagar thanas of Satkhira districts are located at rather high levels and not inundated by tide al all. These farms depend completely on pumped water, mostly low-lifts but some are shallow (Karim, 1995).

4.5.7. Based on the fry stocking rate and the degree of management

Three basic types of culture system seems to exist:

i) The extensive type

ii) The improved extensive type and

iii) The semi-intensive type

The salient features of the three types are summarized in table 3.

Table 3: Selected features of the three existing culture types

Culture type	Artificial stock of Bagda per m³	Liming and fertilization	Artificial feeding	Screening	Aerator	Pumping	Shrimp production kg/ha/year
Extensive	1-1.5	No	No	No or very imperfect	No	No, tide-fed	150-200
Improved extensive	1.5-3.0	Yes	No/Yes	Yes, but not perfect	No	No, or completely pump-fed	250-750
Semi-intensive	20-40	Yes	Yes	Yes and much better than in improved extensive	Yes	Partly tide-fed and partly pump-fed	3000-6000

Extensive type

This is the predominant type currently practiced. An estimated 75 per cent, or over 93,000 ha, of the brackish water shrimp culture area (125 ha) is under extensive culture. The average production of shrimp is found 175 kg/ha (Karim, 1995).

Improved extensive type

An approximately 25 per cent or 28,000 ha, of the shrimp culture area is under what is called ‘Improved extensive type of culture’ or is in a transitional state between extensive and improved extensive type. The shrimp production in this type is found to be on an average of 300 kg/ha (Karim, 1995).

Semi-intensive/intensive culture

‘Semi-intensive shrimp culture’ is a term for which an internationally, regionally or locally acceptable definition is not available. In Bangladesh, the term is very loosely used, assigning no upper limit to stocking rate. The culture system as it is being practiced at present, consist basically of high stocking rates (25-60 m²), heavy artificial feeding, pumping of water and using aerators.

The semi-intensive shrimp culture practice was introduced in 1993 in Cox’s Bazar, after it also spread in Satkhira area. Recently a few industry houses such as M/S. Beximco, Sabinco, Grameen Bank, Niribili, Allahwalla etc. plunged into semi-intensive shrimp farming with initial success (3-5 tons/ha) and immediately followed empty basket as a result disease out break.

Table 4: Semi-Intensive Shrimp Farming Statistics

Region	No. of Farms	Area (ha)	Stocking Rate	Production/
			No/m³	year/ha (kg.)
Satkhira	24	114.73	5-20	900–9100
Khulna/Satkhira	6	82.20	5-20	200-2990
Cox’s Bazar	43	699.01	7-33	500-3000

Source: Shrimp Cell, Department of Fisheries, Dhaka, 1995

In 1994, 36 farms, covering an estimated area of 700 ha in Cox’s Bazar District, started semi-intensive shrimp culture (table 4). But the shrimp in most of the farms suffered mass mortality due to disease. A similar disaster recurred in 1995 (M. Karim & Aftabuzzaman, 1995).

4.6 Shrimp seed collection

Shrimp fry collection and selling them to the growers, has emerged as a potential industry in the coastal area of the country. Shrimp post larvae and juveniles especially Bagda shrimp is very extensively available in tidal water, mangrove estuaries, creeks shallow bank etc in the coastal area. Post larvae of Bagda shrimp occur throughout the year in the estuaries at the vicinity of aquaculture farm but in higher densities during pre and early monsoon month (figure 4.1). The maximum availability of fry appears to occur when salinity ranges between 10-20 ppt. This is usually coincides with the peak stocking season between the months of February to May. Availability also varies with lunar cycle with peak abundance during the second to fifth day following the new and during full moon (Nuruzzaman, 1983). Fine meshed nylon nets are used to collect shrimp post larvae and juvenile. Two types of net are used. These are: i) Set net and ii) Push net. The set net is placed at right angles to the bank with the aid of a fixed bamboo pole facing the tidal current. The catch of zooplankton is periodically checked and the post larvae Bagda shrimp are quickly shorted out. The shorted shrimp post larvae are kept in a container with river water and the rest are discarded along the shore.

Figure 4.1: Relative Abundance of Shrimp Post-Larva in the Coastal Region of Bangladesh

A. CHAKORIA SUNDARBANS

Ahmed (1979)

P. monodon

P. indices

2. Mahmood and Khan (1980)

P. monodon

P. indices

B. SAKHIRA / KHULNA

1. Ahmed (1991)

P. monodon

2. M P O (1985)

P. monodon

3. Kibria (1983)

P. monodon

M. rosenbagii

C. CHANDPUR (Meghna and Dakatia)

D. CHITTAGONG (Halda and Karnafully)

1. Kibria (1983)

M. rosenbagii

Source: MPO, 1987.

On the other hand push net is a small triangular net held by a collapsible bamboo frame and made into a cone shaped collecting bag. One person drags this in shallow water along the riverbank and in the tide pools. Periodically, the catch is checked. Shrimp post larvae are shorted and the rest are thrown along the riverbank. Among two, the latest is used frequently by the minor children and earns about 40 to 50 Taka per day.

The Nuruzzaman study reported that during 1988, about 1.7 billion shrimp wild fry were collected. The shrimp fry pass through a chain of middlemen before reaching the shrimp farm. It is roughly estimated that at least 50% lost before stocked in ponds due to improper handling, transportation and inadequate pond acclimatization procedures.

At present, the shrimp aquaculture industry in Bangladesh is entirely based on the availability of wild-caught shrimp fry. In a study it is reported that one billion fry caught from wild sources which full filled 50% of the existing demand. It has been observed the availability of shrimp fry incurred a significant constraint to increase shrimp production in the country. The price of shrimp fry in the Khulna-Satkhira area has risen dramatically from about Tk. 40-50 in 1980 to Tk. 400-600 per thousand (post larvae of 15-mm total length) in 1988 (Aquatic farm-USA, 1987). The present study revealed the price of shrimp fry has reached over thousand Taka / 1000 fry.

4.7. Potentialities of Shrimp Cultivation

Coastal aquaculture consists primarily of brackish water shrimp farming, for which Bangladesh is endowed with extremely favorable resources and conditions: (a) The availability of tidal land, (b) Warm temperature throughout the year, (c) fertile pond soils with low internal drainage, (d) favorable water salinity, and (e) abundant cheap labour force. Despite these favourable conditions, shrimp culture is still (1997) done under extensive and traditional fashion. Most of the shrimp are exported, yet Bangladesh shrimp export is at very insignificant level. The area suitable for shrimp culture will exceed 150,000 ha in the southwest and 75,000 ha in the southeast region or a total 225,000 ha. Current average shrimp yields in the country are extremely low (210 kg/ha/yr.) and more than half of the area suitable for shrimp production is yet to developed, with the enhanced production level. According to the sectoral review (1990), the area under shrimp farming by the year 2000 is about 175,000 ha and average yields increase with the adoption under scenario ‘A’ of well-managed extensive (450 kg/ha) with the establishment of a few hatcheries brackish water aquaculture and under scenario ‘B’ of well-managed and improved extensive (fertilizers) 600 kg/ha, the potential for coastal aquaculture in Bangladesh could be expected.

Scenario	Area (ha)	Yield (kg/ha)	Production (mt)	Annual Growth
1989-90	94,010	269	25,248	2.4
2000 ‘A’	175,000	450	78,750	5.3
2000 ‘B’	175,000	600	105,000	6.7

Source: World Bank Sectoral Review (1990)

There is a great potentiality for shrimp cultivation in Bangladesh. About 68824 hectares of land was under shrimp cultivation in 1984/85 (Table 1.3) and in 1987/88, shrimp farming area in Bangladesh is about 115,000 hectare (Mahmood, 1988). But the yield of shrimps is very low and it varies by localities from around 50 kg/ha of Bagda chingree in the Chittagong region to nearly 160 kg/ha in Satkhira (Jalal, 1988). The national average production is about 120 kg/ha/year (Mahmood, 1988). On the other hand, the yield of shrimp in Thailand is of the order of 250 kg/ha (Jalal, 1988) and Taiwan has a national average production of 12 tons/ha/year (Mahmood, 1988). So, it can be said that our shrimp culture system expanded horizontally, and not vertically.

Recently, the HANAQUA GROUP, a distinguished professional shrimp farming organization of Taiwan conducted a field survey in the coast of Cox’s Bazar and was of the opinion - “It may be possible to produce as much as 6 metric tons of shrimp/ha/year. Based on this field survey, it is firmly believed that in an ideal site location, a minimum of 3.5 metric tons/ha/crop using state of art’ technologies is very much realistically possible to produce. Besides on 1987 price and cost of land calculated at Tk. 30,000/acre, a financial analysis on a model of a 10 hector of shrimp farm Bangladesh, with variable inputs, showed a minimum return on investment (ROI) of 97% and annual profitability of 41% based on the annual production of 115.5 metric tons from the farm” (Selim, 1988 quoted in Mahmood, 1988). In view this potentiality, if we produce only one metric ton/ha/year of shrimp, the total yield stands at 115,000 metric tons of shrimp in land under shrimp farm in 1988, which is more than six times of shrimp exported from Bangladesh in 1989/90.

4.7.1. International Scenario of Shrimp Industries

Generating huge amount s of foreign exchange, employing millions of humans, and cultivating vast areas of previous unused land, shrimp farming continuous its development toward dominance of the world shrimp markets. Starting from in the mid-1970s, this shrimp industry now produces 28% of the shrimp of the world markets. In 1991, for the eleventh year of global shrimp revolution was celebrated, the world’s shrimp farmers cultivate record production. The Western Hemisphere produces 20% of farm raised shrimp, the Eastern Hemisphere produces 80% of the total world farm raised shrimp on global basis.

Table: World Shrimp Production, 1991

World summary	% of world production	Heads-on production (ton)	Hectares production (Kg/ha)	No. of Holdings	No. of farmers
Western hemisphere	19.4	133,600	767	207	2.055
Eastern hemisphere	80.6	556,500	679	4,501	36,840
Total	100.00	690,100	1446	4,708	36,895

Source: World Shrimp Farming Digest, 1991

Table below shows the China leads the peak shrimp production in Southeast Asia, followed by Indonesia, Thailand and India. Bangladesh have the 8^th position in percentage of shrimp production.

Table: Eastern Hemisphere Shrimp Production, 1991

Eastern Hemisphere summary	% of world production	Heads-on production (ton)	Hectares production	Kilograms per hectares	No. of hatcheries	No. of farmers
China	26.1	145,000	140,000	1,036	1,000	2,000
Indonesia	25.2	140,000	200,000	700	250	20,000
Thailand	19.7	110,000	80,000	1,375	2,000	3,000
India	6.3	35,000	65,000	538	16	2,500
Philippines	5.4	30,000	50,000	600	250	3,000
Vietnam	5.4	30,000	160,000	188	120	1,000
Taiwan	5.4	30,000	8,000	3,750	800	2,000
Bangladesh	4.5	25,000	100,000	250	0	1,000
Japan	0.6	3,500	500	7,000	40	165
Others	1.4	8,000	16,000	500	25	175
Total	100.00	690,100	1446	4,708	36,895	34,840

Source: World Shrimp Farming Digest, 1991

Out of the major producer of shrimp only Taiwan and Japan have had average yields 3,750 kg/ha and 7,000 kg/ ha respectively. Bangladesh and Indonesia are still below the average production i.e. 700 kg/ha/yr. Bangladesh stands at the lowest level production came upto the most 250/ha.

4.8. Institutional Setup involved in Shrimp Cultivation

Shrimp is an important item of the fisheries sector of Bangladesh. Institutions and agencies involved in fisheries sector are more or less related to the shrimp culture. There are several organizations and institutions, which are directly or indirectly involved in fisheries and aquaculture development.

However, the principle organization responsible for fisheries development and management is currently the Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) with its marine and inland wings. The DOF is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (MOFL), Government of the people’s Republic of Bangladesh. Apart from DOF two other agencies related to fisheries development exist under the administration umbrella of MOFL. These are the Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) and the Fisheries Research Institute (FRI).

Beside MOFL, several other Ministries and Govt. Agencies are directly or indirectly involved in or associated with fisheries administration, management and development activities. Various institutions and Govt. Agencies involve in fisheries developments have been presented in Appendix - B.

Apart from government agencies, may of the Non-Government organization such as Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB), Caritas Bangladesh, Proshika, Grameen Bank etc. Are also involved in Fisheries development of Bangladesh.

From Appendix-B and above discussion, it is seen that numbers of Ministry and Non Government Organization (NGO) involved in shrimp culture may create confusion about role and activities of institutions in shrimp resource development. Sometimes activities overlap among institutions. It is important to mention here that Ministry of Environment and Forestry have no role in shrimp culture through Environment is limiting factor and public concern in this respect.

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