Shrimps in hundreds of enclosures damaged

Shrimp farmers and fishery officials said the attack followed contamination of water due to over-flooding of enclosures during heavy rain and flooding.

The debacle in shrimp farms has frustrated several thousand shrimp cultivators in the coastal district.

Abdul Hashem, a leading shrimp cultivator, claimed that about 1,000 out of 3,000 shrimp enclosures have been affected with virus and fishes worth over Tk 50 lakh damaged in the farms.

Unplanned and unscientific cultivation with virus-affected imported fry could be another reason, he said.

Hashem claimed that shrimps worth al least Tk 5 lakh have been damaged in his enclosures in about a week.

Shuvo, another shrimp farmer in North Nalbila, said one of his two enclosures has been affected. He suspected that the water of his farm might have been contaminated by water rolling down the hills.

Shrimps in many other enclosure are still safe, he said.

Hoanok Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Abu Taher Shikder said most of the shrimps of his enclosure have become virus-affected.

Indiscriminate use of medicine for rapid growth of shrimp fry might be the cause of the disease, he said.

Officials of Cox's Bazar Shrimp Cultivators' Association said most of the affected farms are in Moheshkhali, Chakaria, Teknaf, Pekwa and Kutubdia in the district.

The Chief Scientific Officer of Cox's Bazar District Fisheries Research Institution, when contacted, said they are investigating the cause of virus attack. There may be many reasons like decrease in salinity in water of enclosures, contamination of water, use of overdose medicine and more water than needed in the enclosures.

He said the disease broke out due to adverse weather. It will diminish naturally, he said.

Dr Shahdat Hossain, Senior Scientific Officer at the Institution said he detected that the tail of virus-affected shrimp becomes redish, which ultimately changes its original colour. This suggests that they have been attacked with 'white spot' disease.

Quick change of the enclosure water and shifting affected shrimps to another could be a remedy. But this is difficult and expensive for farmers, he said.

Some shrimp cultivators said they can not control the disease even by following advice of fishery officials.