Production of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Fingerling in Hapa Using Swim-up Fry Involving Women in the Haor Region of Bangladesh

Abstract

The inadequate supply of tilapia seed mostly fingerling which consider as the secured stock because of lower mortality rate is considered as one of the major present constraints to the development of the culture industry in annual flooded region of haor in Bangladesh. The floating bamboo net-hapa nursery system was observed to be very efficient in the mass production of tilapia fingerlings at haor water body in Sunamganj district, Bangladesh. This system was therefore, recommended for small-scale (artisanal) commercial operators consisting of fishermen families mostly involvement of women in order to uphold their socio economic contribution and hasten development of haor communities. The research was conducted by three treatments with three replicates each. It was found that treatment I showing stocking density of 750/m 2 with FCR and SGR were 1.14 ± 0.038 a and 10.55 ±0.103 a respectively was found to be the most favorable treatment among all. But while considering the cost benefit ratio treatment II found better for commercial aquaculture as the survival rate was higher in treatment II. Besides the treatment with moderate stocking rate of 900/m 2 found to be most profitable with Tk. 793.12±67.73 b while in treatment I (stocking density 750/m 2 ) and treatment III (stocking density 1050/m 2 ) the net profit were 582.45 ± SD 88.75 a and Tk. 655.04 ±51.76 ab , respectively. As in the commercial production the increasing in stocking density also increase net profit with the same unit area and resources. But in small scale farming like tilapia fingerling production not only profit but also investment capability need to be take into consideration. The cost-benefit ratio found in this study showed that in treatment I, II and III the benefit-cost ratio were 2.17:1, 2.36:1 and 1.99:1 respectively which indicate a moderate stocking density of treatment II is most profitable. It was emphasized that the operational and managerial skills of the culture operators in fingerling production account largely to the production cost minimizing and profitability as well.