Importance of Fish Farming in Bangladesh

Fishes plays a very important role in the employment, national economic development, providing nutrition and earning foreign currency. About 5.3% incomes come from fish among the total national income. Bangladesh has great advantages of fish farming for environmental and natural facilities. The importance of fish farming in in Bangladesh for improving nutrition condition, increasing employment, earning foreign currency and improving socioeconomic condition etc. are described below.

As Food:

Fish is the main element of daily food chart for all Bangladeshi people. According to nutrition scientist an adult people should consume about 45.3g protein daily. Among them 15.1g will be animal protein. And for Bangladeshi people 80 of animal protein comes from fishes. So, fish has a great importance as nutritious food.

Increasing Employment:

About 12% of Bangladeshi people are directly or indirectly engaged with fish and fish related jobs and business. People earn their livelihood by catching fish from open stream, rivers or deep sea. There are also many ponds throughout the country. Most of those are used for fish production. By using modern fish farming methods, fish production in this types of pond can be increased. But this types of modern fish farming requires more people which is a great opportunity for eradicating unemployed problems.

Earning Foreign Currency:

The position of fish is in third for earning foreign currency to Bangladesh. About 10% of total exported income comes from the fish and fish products. This income can be increased by using the available probability.

Socioeconomic Development:

There are numerous ponds and streams spread throughout Bangladesh. There are about 1.4 million ponds with an area of 1.5 million hectors. About 60% of those ponds are used for commercial fish farming. By commercial farming on rest 40% ponds socioeconomic conditions can be developed.

As Poultry Feed:

Unused portion of fishes like scales, bones, innards and dried fish powder are high nutritious feed ingredients of poultry. Egg and meat production of poultry get increased by feeding this types of food.

Industrial Development:

Fat, bone, scales etc. are used as raw material in various types of industries. For example soap, medicine, glycerine and burnish oil producing industry use fat of fish as raw material. Fish also has a great importance in developing cottage industries of Bangladesh.

Others:
Various types of amateur products like bracelet, ring, samkha etc. are made from the excluded part of fish like teeth, bone etc. People of other occupations can also earn some money by fish. Such as a transporter can earn some money by transporting fish from one place to another place.

In a word fish farming has a great importance for Bangladesh.