Mirsarai fish farms suffer catastrophic losses

Mirsarai fish farms suffer catastrophic losses

Kamrul Islam, a prominent fish farmer in the Muhuri project area of Mirsarai upazila, Chattogram, had been preparing to sell a variety of fish species from his 80-acre farm in just a month. However, the recent devastating floods have dashed his hopes, sweeping away all the fish from his project.
The floodwaters have resulted in a catastrophic loss for Kamrul, who had invested over Tk6 crore, with the fish valued at approximately Tk9 crore. Kamrul is now left reeling from the loss of his capital.
Unfortunately, Kamrul plight is not unique. The Feni River overflowed, inundating more than 500 fisheries projects spread across roughly 6,000 acres in the Osmanpur and Ichakhali areas near the Bay of Bengal. The floodwaters carried away all the fish from these projects.
Nasim Al Mahmud, fisheries officer of Mirsarai Upazila, told reporters that the region hosts about 8,000 acres of fish projects, with around 6,000 acres concentrated in Ichakhali and Osmanpur unions. These areas have been severely affected, with fish from the projects being washed away into the Feni River and the Bay of Bengal, he said.
The financial loss to the fish farmers is estimated to exceed Tk600 crore, said Mahmud.
The affected fish farmers say they are devastated, as they had never before experienced such a sudden disaster. Many lamented that if there had been an early warning of the impending floods, they might have taken preventive measures. Instead, they could do nothing but watch helplessly as the floodwaters swept away their livelihoods.
According to the Mirsarai Upazila Fisheries Office, the fisheries projects in the Muhuri area produce approximately 50,000 tonnes of fish annually. Each day, 70 to 80 tonnes of fish are supplied to markets across the country, generating around Tk1,000 crore in annual sales. The fish produced in this area not only meets the needs of Mirsarai upazila but also supplies 70% of Chattogram fish demand.