Shrimp, other fish worth Tk10 crore washed away in Bagerhat

Fish farmers of Bagerhat district has counted a loss of around TK 10 crore as 5,274 fish and shrimp enclosures in nine upazilas were submerged in water caused by torrential rainfall and unusually strong tide.

Water flowed at a height of 2-2.5 feet over some fish enclosures, washing away entire stocks of fish from the low-lying ones.

The fish farmers, who are yet to overcome the loss from the cyclone Amphan, have been affected again.

Due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal, water levels in different rivers of the coastal district rose to a height that was almost 3-4 feet above the normal tide.

There was also an unusual tidal surge that mainly led to the water entering the fishing enclosures in different areas of Bagerhat district.

The pressure was so high that even as the water flowed through the fishing enclosures, the water level was at a height of 2 to 2.5 feet, according to some of the owners of the fish enclosures.

Fish enclosure and ponds were inundated in different areas. Different species of fish including shrimp have been washed away from the ponds and enclosures.

Bagerhat District Fisheries Officer Dr Khaled Kanak said 5,274 fish enclosures in different areas of the district have been submerged due to heavy rains and abnormal tidal waters.

The area of those submerged enclosures is 2,679 hectares. The number of affected farmers is more than seven thousand.

Following a primary estimate, various fish including shrimp worth Tk 10 crore were washed away in water.

The official said that fish farmers of the nine upazilas have been affected this time.

Of these, more than 2,185 fish enclosures have inundated in Morelganj, causing loss of TK 1.4 crore.

Besides, 1,765 enclosures of 1,071 hectares area have been submerged in Mongla. The amount of damage there is TK 5 crore.

Meanwhile, 360 ponds were found  submerged in different areas of the district.

Fakir Mahitul Islam Sumon, president of the Bagerhat District Shrimp Farmers' Association, said thousands of shrimp farms had been submerged in different areas of the district due to the unusual surge in tidal waters. Shrimp and other species of fish worth over Tk 10-crore (Tk 100 million) have been washed away in the water.