Jashore hatcheries suffer as temperatures soar

The intense heat wave sweeping through Chanchra in Jashore is severely disrupting the production of fry (renu) and fingerlings, as temperatures have hovered around 40 degrees Celsius for a week.

Hatchery owners and fish farmers said fingerlings are dying in large numbers due to the extreme heat, which has forced many to halt production. The normal water temperature required for fingerling production ranges between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius.

Farmers fear that if the current weather conditions persist, the production could come to a complete standstill.

In response, the district fisheries department has advised hatchery owners to supply adequate water to reservoirs, cultivate aquatic plants like sedges, and plant banana and papaya trees along the banks to provide shade.

Ahidullah Lulu, a hatchery owner, said Jashore ranks top in the country in fingerling production. The season typically begins in the month of Falgun and continues until mid-Asharh, with Baishakh and Jaishtha being the peak period.

However, with temperatures stuck between 39 and 40 degrees Celsius for the past week, fry and renu production has become nearly impossible.

"I have two ponds where I produce white fish fry," said Chanchra-based farmer and trader Shahjahan Hossain.

"Due to the ongoing heat wave, the rising water temperature is destroying both eggs and fry."

Another renu farmer Abir Hasan echoed similar concerns.

According to the district fisheries office, Jashore is a major contributor to fry production, with 36 hatcheries in operation.

These produce approximately 65 tonnes of carp fry annually, against a local demand of just over 15 tonnes.

The remaining 50 tonnes are supplied to other regions across the country.

In addition to carp, fry of tilapia, pangash, shing, magur, pabda, gulsha, rui, katla, mrigel, bighead, Thai sarputi, koi, Thai koi, and other species are also produced in Chanchra, often referred to as the fishing village of Jashore.

There are also 5,000 to 6,000 nurseries operating in the district, with around two lakh people depending on fish farming and related professions for their livelihoods.

Firoz Khan, president of the Jashore District Hatchery Owners' Association, said, "If the situation does not improve soon, there will be a national disaster in fish production."

He said the 36 hatcheries in Jashore produce 150,000 kilogrammes of shrimp annually, with a market value of approximately Tk 300 crore.

Jashore District Fisheries Officer Sarkar Muhammad Rafiqul Alam said, "The district is currently facing an intense heat wave. Farmers must ensure a high volume of water in hatcheries or enclosures to maintain water temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius for normal fry production."

He also recommended cultivating kachuripana and kalmi in the reservoirs and planting banana and papaya trees along hatchery banks.

"If it rains or temperatures drop in the coming days, we expect fry production to return to normal levels," he added.