Factors Affecting Fishers’ Attitude and Willingness to use Cage Aquaculture as an Alternative Livelihood for Reducing Fishing Pressure in Haor Areas, Bangladesh

Inland capture fisheries are providing cost of livings of about 1.2 million BDT in Bangladesh. However, overexploitation causes the declination of the abundance of native fish species which adversely affects the livelihoods of haor dwellers. The present study was conducted in two haor villages (Sutarpara and Changnoagaon) of Kishoreganj, Bangladesh to explore the factors (economic and non-economic) affecting fishers’ attitude and willingness about cage aquaculture considered as livelihood alternative for reducing fishing pressure. The methodologies applied to do this study were semi-structured face-to-face interview, key informants and questionnaire survey using Likert scale (LS), focus group discussions (FGD). The result revealed that willingness to switch from traditional way of fishing to cage aquaculture activities was significantly (p<0.05) higher in those fishers’ groups that had more inclination in fishing activities. Simultaneously, non-economic factors like powerful traders and fishers, traditional belief, taking risk, launching period of cage aquaculture venture and investment duration played vital role in decisions on whether to fish or not. The economic factors were fewer in number than non-economic factors. This comparative research is significantly important for future social aquaculture researchers as well as the country policy makers for giving emphasis to gather data based on the prevailing economic and non-economic factors to innovate alternative livelihood activity concurrently.

Analysis of the Competitiveness of Floating Net Cage Aquaculture in Indonesia

The purpose of this study is to analyze the competitiveness profile of floating net cage aquaculture in Indonesia. The research was conducted in February – June 2021 at the Directorate General of Aquaculture, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia. The data collection method used in this study is the literature survey method. Primary data in the form of questionnaires with expert judgment respondents as many as 13 people consisting of 11 Lecturers of the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Padjadjaran University, and 2 employees of the Directorate General of Aquaculture, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia regarding the proportion of competitiveness of floating net cage aquaculture fisheries. Secondary data in the form of statistical data on floating net cage aquaculture in 2017 was obtained from the Directorate General of Aquaculture, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia. Data analysis was carried out by using quantitative descriptive analysis. The results showed that Central Java Province which was supported by facilities and infrastructure variables, West Java Province which was supported by human resources and production variables, and North Sulawesi Province which was supported by science and technology variables were in the top three with very high competitiveness category, while the Riau Islands Province and the Bangka Belitung Islands Province are in the bottom two ranks with the low competitiveness category.

Analysis of Floating Cage Net Development Trends in West Java Province, Indonesia

This study has the aim to analyze the trend of the development of fisheries floating cage net aquaculture in West Java Province.The research was conducted from September 2020 – July 2021.The method used was a literature survey to determine the development of aquaculture fisheries of floating cage net in regencies and cities in West Java Province. Data collected were analyzed descriptively. Secondary data on Floating Net Cage Aquaculture Fisheries (2004 – 2019) was obtained from the office of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of West Java Province. The results of this study indicate that the development of aquaculture fisheries of floating cage net in the regencies/cities of West Java Province experienced fluctuating changes which tends to increase from 2004 to 2019.

Suitable Stocking Density Ensures Best Production and Economic Returns in Floating Cage Aquaculture System

The striped dwarf catfish Mystus cavasius being a least concern small indigenous fish it is necessary to protect the species from extinction in the near future. An experiment on production and economic feasibility of Mystus cavasius in cage was conducted for a period of six months from March to August 2020 in beel hilla at Naogaon district of Bangladesh. The study was carried out in nine cages (rectangular 8x5x2 feet size) under three treatments namely T1, T2 and T3 performed with the stocking densities of 46 fry m-2, 92 fry m-2 and 137 fry m-2 and designed each with three replications. The fish was fed with commercial pellet feed (containing 30% crude protein) twice daily at the rate of 5-7% of fish body weight. The total production was found to be significantly (p<0.05) highest in T3 among the three treatments. The net profit was better in T3 than T1 and T2 in terms of better production and money. So, stocking density of Mystus cavasius at the rate of 137 fry m-2 in cage could be an economically feasible aquaculture technique for fish farmers.