AwF-VOSD SMALL SCALE CAGE CULTURE PROJECT
FOR RURAL WOMEN IN BANGLADESH
INTRODUCTION
This is a project organized and supported by the Voluntary Organization for Social Development, Bangladesh (VOSD) and Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF).
Further details about project management and VOSD can be found at the end of this document.
Further information on AwF can be found on www.aquaculturewithoutfrontiers.org
PROJECT TITLE
AwF-VOSD Small Scale Cage Culture for Rural Women in Bangladesh
BACKGROUND
Fish culture in cages is not a traditional technology in Bangladesh like pond culture. It is a relatively new technology in Bangladesh though it has successful history in many other countries in Asia. In Bangladesh the first documented attempts on cage culture were small-scale research projects conducted at research institute campuses in 1970s and 1980s. The first serious attempt to introduce cage culture in Bangladesh occurred during 1980s in the Kaptai Lake (Flexi, S.S. 1987.Terminal report of the fish cage expert-Loan No.329-BAN (SF). Bangladesh Aquaculture Development Project No. 86.). In 1991 and 1992, Department of Fisheries (DoF) and Overseas Development Agency (ODA now DFID), supported the Northwest Fisheries Extension Project in collaboration with CARE starting cage culture in northwest Bangladesh. The target groups were women, initially successful, the project failed due to high level of post-stocking mortalities.
CARE’s CAGES project was the first aquaculture development project which was exclusively on cage culture started from 1998 in six regions (Barisal, Comilla, Dhaka, Jessore, Natore and Sylhet) of Bangladesh. The first three years of this project was concerned with introducing cage culture with very limited previous experience. Returns and profits had increased each year since the project inception. The target groups were the resource poor particularly women who had no owner or access to pond as cages could be set in many different water body.
Cage culture showed an opportunity to poor farmers particularly women. After the successful introduction of CARE-CAGES project in some areas of Bangladesh, many farmers left their cages from water bodies after the finishing of the project in 2002. First it seemed to be a disaster but in reality, there was no body to support or follow up the program from government or NGO level after finishing the project.
OBJECTIVES
The overall goal of this project is to introduce low-cost cage culture technology to poor women to improve their nutrition status and livelihoods.
To achieve this goal, the specific objectives are given below:
- To introduce low input cage culture technology to poor women beneficiaries.
- To alert beneficiaries that cage culture is a profitable option of aquaculture and requires minimal investment.
- To encourage beneficiaries about cage culture and fish feeding techniques.
- To ensure farmers that it is a source of income and provides protein at very low cost.
- To establish social interaction, like serving guests or neighbours.
ACTIVITIES
To achieve the objectives, the following works will be done:
- Site will be selected for the project through VOSD.
- Farmer selection will be done through a survey carried in selected area and then training, meetings, discussion and brain storming will be provided.
- Two days training on cage construction and fish culture in cages will be conducted for selected farmers.
- A training module will be prepared for cage culture for farmers.
- Water quality, fish mortality, feed and disease will be monitored at regular intervals.
- Records will be kept of fish production for each cage.
- Progress reports will be provided every four months, and a final report will be prepared.
Tentative Work Plan for one year (two cycles/yr)
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2006 |
2007 |
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Activities |
M |
A |
M |
J |
J |
A |
S |
O |
N |
D |
J |
F
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Farmers selection |
X |
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Training to the farmers |
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X |
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Pond Selection |
X |
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Pond Preparation |
X |
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Cage construction |
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X |
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Fry purchasing |
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X |
X |
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X |
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Fry nursing in ponds |
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X |
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X |
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Fry stocking in cages |
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X |
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X |
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Feeding of fish |
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X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
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Harvesting |
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X |
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X |
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Monitoring & data collection |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
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Progress reports |
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X |
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