He started as a hobby, but he is now a successful ornamental fish farmer. Abu Raihan, 28, a young entrepreneur from the Ramganj Bazar area of Nilphamari Sadar, earns extra income every month by farming colourful foreign fish. In just four years he has achieved wide success. He first bought 10 mixed guppies for Tk 500 for his courtyard; the project began small, but he now farms in 21 concrete tanks.

In early 2020, during the coronavirus period, Raihan bought 10 colourful fish for Tk 500 from an aquarium fish shop in Nilphamari town on a whim. He did not even know what they were called; he later learned they were mixed guppies. He kept them in a bucket at his village home.

Fifteen days later, while changing the water, he noticed eggs in the bellies of several fish. Fry soon followed. He gradually built tanks and expanded. The fish bred every few weeks and their numbers grew, and seeing this he began to dream of an ornamental fish farm. He now has 30 species on the farm.

"I wanted to do something that would bring mental peace as well as money," Abu Raihan said. "I saw that ornamental fish farming was giving me both joy and income. Doing it alongside my business is not much trouble, so I tried to expand. Everyone in the family helps. The farm runs almost like a game."

He said the project currently has a Tk 2 lakh set-up. "At the moment my farm has mixed guppy, short tail, red tail, platinum dumbo, ear albino koi, koi tuxedo, blue head samurai, red Moscow, snake skin guppy, cobra, black balloon molly, white balloon molly, zebra, glow tetra, moon tail molly, koi carp, comet carp and Mickey Mouse platy. I plan to invest more here."

"My Facebook page is 'Rangin Macher Khamar Nilphamari'," he said. "Many people contact me there and come here. Hearing about the farm, buyers come from different parts of the district, and traders from Nilphamari and Saidpur buy at wholesale rates. Depending on size, the fish sell for Tk 10 to Tk 500. They are sent all over the country in oxygen bags."

He now has 25,000 ornamental fish of 30 species, with a market value of Tk 4-5 lakh. However, he complained that he has had little help from fisheries officials. The fish commonly suffer from fin rot and gill rot, and lice cause wounds. From his own experience he treats them with measured amounts of salt, potash, alum and lime. He wants to expand if he gets government support.

Nilphamari district fisheries officer Abu Sayeed told Jago News: "More than half the demand in this sector, which is entirely import-dependent, is being met by young people like Raihan. There is good demand abroad as well. Entrepreneurs are being helped in various ways to raise interest in fish farming."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.