This document summarizes information about small fish resources, aquaculture practices, and the importance of small fish in Bangladesh. It outlines Bangladesh's aquatic biodiversity and status as the 3rd largest inland fishery in Asia. While carp production is significant, over-exploitation and environmental threats jeopardize small fish. The document suggests integrating nutrient-rich small fish like mola into polyculture and rice-fish systems to address malnutrition. Challenges include lack of knowledge, seeds, and alternative incomes, as well as environmental issues. Strengthening community-based management, restocking habitats, and adopting pro-poor aquaculture techniques can help sustain small fish production and consumption.

1. M A Wahab, S H Thilsted & A Milstein

2. outlines
• small fish resources
• current practices in aquaculture
• small fish & importance
• pro-poor technologies
• habits suitable for small fishes
• challenges of access to nutrient-rich small fish
• suggestions for nutrient-rich fish production

3. Bangladesh, within the delta of three large rivers - the
Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna, enjoys sub-
tropical climate
Rich in aquatic biodiversity
The inland fishery of Bangladesh ranks 3rd largest in
Asia after China and India
Fish production in Bangladesh has reached 3.26 million
mt

4. Order Family Genus Species
Anguiliformes 5 6 8
Osteoglossiformes 1 2 2
Elopiformes 1 1 1
Clupeiformes 3 12 17
Cypriniformes 4 35 87
Siluriformes 13 36 59
Cyprinodontiformes 1 1 1
Syngnathiformes 1 2 3
Synbranchiformes 2 4 6
Perciformes 14 46 61
Beloniformes 3 5 7
Pleuronectiformes 3 4 7
Tetraodontiformes 1 2 3
Total = 13 52 156 262

5. major carpsmajor carps – rohu, catla, mrigal– rohu, catla, mrigal
exotic carpsexotic carps – common (koi), silver, bighead, grass– common (koi), silver, bighead, grass
catfishcatfish - thai pangus (E), magur, shing- thai pangus (E), magur, shing
barbsbarbs – thai silver barb (E)– thai silver barb (E)
perchperch – thai koi (E)– thai koi (E)
crustaceancrustacean – shrimp, prawn– shrimp, prawn

6. Carp polyculture
Carp polyculture with f/w prawn
Integrated rice – fish / f/w prawn
Culture of Thai pangas
Tilapia Culture
Cage and pen culture
Air-breathing fish culture (catfish & Koi)
Shrimp and f/w prawn culture

7.  Only fewer species cultured
 Fish meal required in fish feed
 May affect environment
 Invasive exotics?
 HH nutrition often ignored
 Malnutrition severe among young children& women

8. Focus on nutrient - rich fish production
Screen out all fish for higher nutrient contents
Include nutrient-rich small fish in polyculture
Develop pro-poor technologies to ensure HH nutrition
Increase consumption of small fish by women & young children
Build awareness & advocacy for conservation of biodiversity
Promote community based management & stock enhancement

11. provide food, nutrition and income to rural people & fishermen
high nutritional value- rich in vitamin A, calcium, iron & zinc
self recruit species, breeds several times in a year- no hatchery
 suitable for polyculture with carps & f/w prawn in ponds/rice-
fields
forage on natural food-suitable for green water aquaculture
effective in reducing malnutrition in women & young children

12. Thilsted et al. 1997Thilsted et al. 1997

13.  Loss of natural habitats
 Over-exploitation
 Use of monofilament nets (current jal)
 Water abstraction for irrigation
 Excess application of agro-chemicals
 Pollution from industrial effluents
 Outbreaks of ulcer diseases
 Siltation of rivers & natural water-bodies

16.  To restore fish habitats
 To establish of fish sanctuaries in rivers/beels/haors
 To establish of fish pass, FFS to allow free movement
 To stock floodplains & natural water-bodies with nutrient-rich
fish
 To promote CBFM & develop policy support

17.  Re-excavation of silted haor, baor, beels and scour holes in
the rivers
 Provision of patchy growth of aquatic vascular plants in the
natural water bodies
 Creation of micro-habitats – species specific eg., bamboo
pieces for eels and catfishes
 Re-plantation of flood tolerant trees like – hizol, koroch,
tomal, sheora, swamp forest & reeds along the edges of
water-bodies

23. Carp-mola polyculture
Mola-punti-carp polyculture
Carp-prawn-mola culture
Carp-mola-prawn culture in rice fields
(concurrent & rotational)
Improved mola processing and cooking
 Dried and canned value-added mola

25. Repeated partialRepeated partial
harvesting of small fishharvesting of small fish
Mola 12,500 ha-1
Punti 12,500 ha-1
Rohu 3,300 ha-1
Catla 3,300 ha-1
Common carp 3,400 ha-1
Silver carp 300 ha-1
SIS production 400 kg ha-1 yr-1
Large fish production 2600 kg ha-1 yr-1

26. Freshwater prawn, 20,000 ha-1
Catla 2,500 ha-1
Mola 20,000 ha-1
All male prawn grow better
concurrent rice-fish culture systems
Production 3,240 kg ha-1 yr-1

27. Freshwater prawn, 20,000 ha-1
Catla - 1,750 ha-1
Rohu - 1,750 ha-1
Mola - 20,000 ha-1
All male prawn grow better
alternate rice - fish culture systems
Production 4,280 kg ha-1
yr-1

29.  Small fish exerts no negative impacts on carps in polyculture
 Partial harvesting of SIS at regular intervals increase total yield
 Ponds & ponds connected to rice-fields are suitable for mola,
punti & darkina
 In rotation with rice 4,280 kg/ha/8 mo in catla- prawn- mola
 Mola consumption increased if added in HH ponds
 Extension agencies of GO and NGOs are promoting small fish
 Quality dried & canned pickle mola can be produced

34. Major challenges for sustainable production
to meet the need for micronutrient-rich small fish:
• Inadequate knowledge on the nutrient contents fishes
• Insufficient knowledge on small biology
• Shortage of quality seed for aquaculture & stocking
• Land and water use conflicts
• Excess use of agro-chemicals crop fields
• Weakness in the implementation of fish act
• Lack of alternative income generation for the fishermen
• Lack of awareness among various stakeholders, and
• Uncertainty of climate changes

35. all rural HH ponds to be stocked with small fish along with carps
small HH ponds to be connected with adjacent rice-fields
 rice-fish with crop rotation or concurrent methods to be adopted
1 m water to be kept in dry season in beels & similar water-bodies
mola, dhela, darkina and nutrient-rich small fish to be restocked
partial harvest of SIS helps increased production & consumption
carp-mola, cap-mola-prawn in ponds or rice-field connected to be
disseminated
training programs for all GO and NGO extension officials needed

37. Mostafa A R Hossain
Nanna Roos
M. Enamul Hoq
DANIDA
USAID – CDR
WorldFish
Thank you allThank you all