A team of researchers at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) has achieved success in cultivating seabass using artificial supplementary feed in floating cages in the coastal region for the first time in the country. Not only the cultivation, but the quality of the fish produced in the cages was also superior to that of conventionally farmed fish.
The research findings were presented at a press conference on Thursday (April 24th) afternoon by Professor Dr. Md. Shahjahan of the Fisheries Management Department at BAU. The press conference was held at the Fish Ecophysiology Laboratory of the university's Fisheries Management Department.
Principal investigator Professor Dr. Md. Shahjahan stated that the research was conducted under the Sustainable Coastal Marine Fisheries Project (SCMFP), funded by the World Bank and supervised by the Department of Fisheries. Javed Hasan, a postgraduate student at the university, assisted in the research.
At the press conference, Professor Dr. Md. Shahjahan said, "The main objective of this research was to verify the feasibility of seabass cultivation in floating cages using supplementary feed for the first time in the country. The field-level work for this research was carried out in three coastal regions of the country: Munshiganj in Satkhira, Maheshkhali in Cox's Bazar, and Char Kukri-Mukri in Bhola. In each area, the local fishing community was involved from the construction of the cages to every stage of cultivation."
Regarding the cage culture method and feed management of seabass, the researcher explained, "The cages were constructed in a circular shape with a diameter of 6.7 meters and a capacity of 60 cubic meters. Fifteen fingerlings can be stocked per cubic meter. This fish is cultivated using a two-tier method with artificial supplementary feed: first, nursing (pre-stage cultivation) from January to March, and then transferring them to cages for grow-out. The research found that artificial feed did not have any negative impact on the growth or nutritional quality of the fish."
In a related concurrent study, as seabass are predatory in nature, they were initially fed cut tilapia (according to the size of their mouths). Gradually, they were accustomed to a mixture of commercial feed and finally to a laboratory-prepared supplementary feed containing 37 percent high protein.
Regarding the final results and profitability of the research, the researcher stated, "After one year, an average of 800 to 850 kg of fish was produced from each cage. The production per cubic meter was 13 to 17 kg, whereas the average production in ponds or enclosures using traditional methods is 600 to 1500 kg per hectare. The average protein content of cage-cultured fish is 19 grams, compared to 17 grams in ordinary seabass."
According to research calculations and field experience, it is possible to ensure a return of approximately Tk 1.70 for every Tk 1 invested in cage culture of this fish. Moreover, farmers' costs are reduced as there is no land rent to pay for using river space. A cage can be used for 5 to 7 years, where about 1000 kg of fish can be cultivated each time. Although cages are currently made of plastic, marginal farmers can also make them at a lower cost using bamboo or ordinary fishing nets if they wish.
Dr. Shahjahan further added, "The risk of disease in this method is low, the risk of damage from natural disasters is less, and there is no possibility of fish eating each other. This fish can survive in brackish water with salinity ranging from 0 to 35 ppt (parts per million), which makes it suitable for coastal aquaculture."
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