Amid mounting losses from shrimp farming due to viral infections and erratic weather, farmers in Khulna are turning to snakehead fish cultivation, finding a profitable alternative that is improving livelihoods and creating employment opportunities.
The scientific name of snakehead fish is Channa striata.
In different areas of Dumuria and Paikgachha, farmers are raising the native fish in small ponds, with many achieving financial stability and creating new employment opportunities.
Their success is encouraging others to follow suit. For people like Sabur, who once earned his living by driving a van, snakehead farming has opened a new path to self-reliance.
Dumuria Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Sohel Md Jillur Rahman Rigan described the growing popularity of native fish cultivation in a shrimp-dominated region as encouraging, particularly because it offers farmers the prospect of earning more from relatively small areas of land.He said the Fisheries Department was working to further develop the sector.
Paikgachha Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer Saikat Mallick praised the local farmers’ initiative, saying it could contribute to livelihood improvement and economic self-reliance. He assured farmers that the Fisheries Department would provide the necessary training, advice and technical assistance.
Khulna District Fisheries Department Deputy Director Bipul Kumar Basak said shrimp farmers would receive adequate training if a relevant development project received approval. Initiatives would also be taken to improve shrimp enclosures and establish quality hatcheries, he added.
Animesh Mondal, a farmer from Dumuria, previously depended on shrimp cultivation but suffered repeated financial losses. This year, he stocked 12,400 snakehead fingerlings in four ponds covering a total of 50 decimals of land. Within five months, the fish reached an average weight of around one kilogram each.
He is currently selling the fish at Tk 900 to Tk 1,000 per kilogram. Animesh said he had invested Tk 25 lakh to Tk 26 lakh in the four ponds and expected total sales of Tk 40 lakh to Tk 50 lakh.
The fish has also transformed the fortunes of Sabur, a resident of Gorerabad village under Chandkhali Union in Paikgachha. Once a van driver, Sabur began fish farming jointly with his cousin Rezwan, a government employee, two years ago.
In their first year, they stocked around 1,250 fingerlings and sold fish worth Tk 4.38 lakh against an expenditure of Tk 1.27 lakh. In the second year, they stocked 2,500 fingerlings and earned Tk 4.60 lakh from sales, with production costs amounting to Tk 1.42 lakh.
Drawing on two years of experience, Sabur has now decided to venture into fish farming independently. Meanwhile, Sanowar has stocked another 2,500 fingerlings in his pond.
Sanowar said he became interested in snakehead farming after witnessing its growing popularity in the area. He later joined hands with his cousin to start cultivation, hoping to create employment opportunities for unemployed people.
“Simply advising unemployed people to work is not enough; arrangements must also be made for their capital,” he said, adding that financially capable individuals could help generate employment by investing in trustworthy people.
However, he stressed that successful cultivation requires stocking fingerlings according to pond size, ensuring adequate feed and making proper preparations in advance.
Snakehead farming has taken a commercial turn in Baduria village under Chandkhali Union of Paikgachha, where more than 300 ponds are reportedly being used to cultivate the fish. Locals have begun referring to the village as the “capital of snakehead fish.”
A large section of the village population is directly or indirectly involved in the industry, from preparing fish feed and maintaining ponds to marketing the produce. Women are also contributing to the sector by preparing fish feed, creating additional income opportunities for local households.
Farmer Mashiur has stocked 2,600 fingerlings in a six-decimal pond. Within seven to eight months, the fish generally reach weights ranging from 700 grams to one kilogram. His annual production costs stand at Tk 3.5 lakh to Tk 4 lakh, while sales generate Tk 7 lakh to Tk 8 lakh.
Another farmer, Afzal Hossain, said he sold snakehead fish worth approximately Tk 9.10 lakh last year after cultivating 2,670 fish in two ponds covering 15 decimals. His production costs were around Tk 4 lakh.
This year, he has stocked 4,500 fingerlings and expects sales of Tk 12 lakh to Tk 13 lakh. After nearly six years in the business, Afzal said snakehead farming had helped him achieve financial independence.
Fish produced in Baduria are now being supplied to different parts of the country.
The current market price of snakehead fish varies according to size and quality, with prices reported at around Tk 300 to Tk 400 per kilogram.
Those concerned with the sector believe that the potential of native fish farming in Khulna could increase substantially if quality fingerlings, proper training, technical assistance and loans on easy terms were made available to farmers.
As uncertainty continues to surround shrimp cultivation, snakehead farming is emerging as a promising alternative for farmers seeking to protect their livelihoods, increase household income and create employment in rural communities.