Constraints of health management of commercially cultured high valued fishes

Abstract

This study was performed to understand the constraints of health management of commercially
cultured high value fishes including gulsha (Mystus cavasius), shing (Heteropneustes fossilis) and koi (Anabas
testudineus). One hundred farmers were interviewed through structured questionnaire in Mymensingh and
Jashore districts. Most of the farmers practiced polyculture of gulsha and shing with carps and monoculture
of koi high densities. All the three species suffered from a number of serious diseases under farming
conditions. Most prevalent clinical signs of diseases were ulcerative hemorrhagic lesion, whitish
appearance over body surface, ventral and mouth reddening and fin rot. The most susceptible
species to disease was shing with a higher average mortality of 43.33% followed by gulsha
(36.71%) and koi (38.76%). Diagnosis of disease was the single most important constraints of
health management followed by lack of farmer’s knowledge on fish health and diseases, presence of
huge number of poor quality medicine, ineffectiveness and indiscriminate use of such medicine,
lack of farmer’s ability on application of medicine and absence of qualified fish health adviser.
Lack of good quality fish seed, feed and water were identified as the main resource problems
associated with fish health management. The study also identified a number of general constraints
of farming of high value fish which included low price of fish, higher feed cost, and outbreak of
diseases, high land tax, electricity bill and marketing problem. Further studies should focus on the
development of strategies for better health management practices for sustainable commercial culture
of high value fishes.