Present Status of Culture and Capture Fishery in Beel Dakatia And the Socio- Economic Condition of the People in the Region

Abstract

A Survey was conducted in Beel Dakatia at Dumuria, FultaIa and Daulatpur thana under the district of khulna, A questionnaire was used to collect the information through interview, which included the aquaculture, capture fishery, agriculture and socio-economic related information. Total area of Beel Dakatia is about 28,328 acre and total population is about 1,35,000. About 5365 people directly and 26829 people indirectly involved in aquaculture, about 264 people directly and 1320 people indirectly involved in the capture fishery, about 1014 people directly and 5071 people indirectly involved in the pure agricultural activities. The area distribution was 52% for aquaculture, 31% for housing, 9.83% for agriculture, 2.56% for capture fishery, 0.61% for marshland and 4% for shop, bazaar, mosque, school, college, madrasha and other things. There are found mainly two types of culture system that is integrated culture and poly culture. About 93% farmers practiced integrated culture and only 7% farmers practiced poly culture. Because integrated culture is more beneficial than poly culture. Inpoly culture, average production of prawn and fish were found to be 225 kg/acre and 95 kg/acre respectively and in integrated culture, average production of prawn and fish were found to be 198 kg/acre and 83 kg/acre respectively. In case of integrated culture, paddy and other vegetable products were also produced along with prawn and fishes. Average production of paddy in integrated culture was found to be 1560 kg/acre. About 22 types of vegetables and fruits were found in the integrated culture on the dyke of the farms. Net profit per acre from integrated culture and poly culture were recorded to be 59,673Tk and 51,022Tk respectively. A total of 41 different species of fish and 3 species of prawn were identified in the capture fishery where as only 8 species of fish and one species of prawn were cultured in the culture fishery. Only three types of craft including Nouka, Donga (Taigas) and Vella (hanna tree) were found in capture fishery where as in aquaculture, some fanners only used Nouka. The study also observed that 5 types of gear (Khapla jal, Tana jal, Current jal, Fash jal, Thela jal), 6 types of trap (Ghuni, Vair, Chonga, Polo, Tubo and Bitte) and 5 types of hook and spear (Chip Borshi, Borshi, Fulkuchi, Jhupi and Konch) used in the capture fishery where as only Tana jal and Khapla jal are used in aquaculture for harvesting. Sometimes farmers used fash jal for white fish harvesting in aquaculture. Pure agricultural activities were very limited in the study area. Pure agriculture and capture fishery area is decreasing rapidly with increasing aquaculture activities. People who involved in aquaculture had a better economic condition than that people who engaged in other activities. People suffered many problems in this study area. So there is a necessity of proper organizational involvement to make a proper guideline for the proper use of resources by the community people to ensure their better socio-economic. However, over all livelihood status of the people is developing day by day with increasing aquaculture activities in Beel Dakatia.