'Never seen anything like this': Mass of dead fish dot Bagerhat ghers worrying farmers

Abdul Jabbar Sheikh, a fish farmer in Bagerhat, is in despair. 

He stares ahead at his fish enclosure (gher) which stands dotted with dead fish worth an estimated Tk50 lakh.

"Over the past two days, dead fish have been floating to the surface. I have lost more than 70 maund fish," said Abdul Jabbar from Char Kathi village in Kochua upazila of the district.

"Despite using various medicines [Aqua products] such as Energy C, Oxygen, Gasoline, and Probiotics, no changes have been observed. Fish are still dying," the fisherman added.

Abdus Chattar Sheikh, an enclosure worker, said, "I have been working in Jabbar Huzur's enclosure for about 30 years. I have never seen fish die like this before. For the past two days, only dead fish have been coming up, and we are burying them on the outskirts of the enclosure."

Abdul Jabbar Sheikh's plight is not an isolated case, as several other fish farmers in the area are grappling with similar losses.

"Mainly due to weather-related problems and insufficient water in the canal, white fish are dying in the enclosures. If fish continue to die like this, farmers will be in danger," said another fish farmer Mizanur Rahman.

On the issue of weather, Jabbar said, "During the day, it's very hot, and at night it's cold. Along with this, water is not available in the local canals. That's why the fish are dying."

The economic impact of the situation is significant. 

"This is our big project. We sell fish worth 60-65 lakh taka annually from here. But this time, a lot of damage has occurred. We have incurred a loss of 50 lakh taka," he said.

Pranab Kumar Biswas, senior fisheries officer of Kochua Upazila, provided insight into potential solutions, stating, "Due to weather conditions, that is, cold-hot and the soil and water of the enclosure being contaminated, fish are dying. In this situation, farmers have been advised to change the water and lime the soil for better growth."