Guidelines for managing aeration and water quality in fish hatcheries and nurseries in Bangladesh

Abstract

The objective of this document is to guide hatchery owners and nursery farmers in water quality management to improve the survival and quality of fish seed produced. In Bangladesh, induced breeding of cultured species in hatcheries is essential for supplying quality fish seed to the aquaculture industry. Following the decline of overexploited natural stocks, the availability of natural spawn has also declined in rivers. By 2018, driven by increasing demand, 825 private hatcheries had been developed in the country, and these hatcheries accounted for 6668 t of fish seed produced (DOF 2018). This quantity of hatchlings was generated despite poor survival rates for fry during nursing and transportation, which is characteristic of fish production in Bangladesh. To address these problems, hatcheries need to adopt improved techniques to manage water quality, including adequate oxygenation of hatcheries and nursery ponds and better management of other parameters.