Mir Khairul Alam, Satkhira: Prawn farmers have successfully cultivated bagda shrimp in semi-intensive system in experimental preparation year in Satkhira Shyam. About 30 times more shrimp are formed in that method than what happens in normal shrimp farming. Shyamnagar fish farmers have started upazila elections for permanent Satkhira semi-concentrated shrimp farmers.

It has been found that 25 shrimp farmers of Munshiganj Union of coastal upazila Shyamnagar of the district have succeeded in semi-intensive farming. Encouraged by a project, they concentrated on this cultivation.

The Community Based Climate Resilient Fisheries and Aquaculture Development in Bangladesh project in Shyamnagar and the joint project of the Department of Fisheries and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have started to show potential. In this method, about 32 thousand shrimps are released in a 3 bigha fish tank. After about 4 months the fish becomes marketable. Some coastal farmers have started shrimp farming in this manner since last year. Which is twice as much as before.

While the traditional system used to produce 300-500 kg of shrimp per hectare, the production in semi-intensive system exceeds 5000 kg.

Mizanur Rahman, a semi-intensive shrimp farmer of Shyamnagar, said that he started this cultivation initially. At first the fear worked, but later it passed. He got more production than the previous farming method. He said that what has been produced has been well received by the locals.

Mahmudul Haque Lovelu Biswas, a shrimp farmer of Debhata area of Satkhira, said that seeing their success, the shrimp farmers of this region are encouraged to cultivate shrimp in a semi-intensive manner in the hope of producing more in a small area.

Tushar Majumdar, the senior fisheries officer of the upazila, said that by farming shrimp in this way, the farmers can earn two to two and a half lakh taka per year excluding all expenses.

Khulna Divisional Fisheries Officer Assistant Director Raj Kumar Biswas said that the main problem in Bagda shrimp farming is to sustain Bagda shrimp. In this method it is possible to reduce the death rate of foals through proper nursing. The new semi-intensive method of shrimp farming has the potential to become more profitable by avoiding the traditional methods.