Pabda is one of Bangladesh's small fish. This freshwater fish was once found in abundance in rivers, canals, beels, haors and baors. It is very popular and tasty, but it is now close to extinction in the country. Artificial breeding can save it, so why not farm pabda yourself.
Choose a pond or water body of 15-20 decimals that holds water for 7-8 months. The pond must be free from flooding and have enough light and air.
Selecting brood fish
The male is comparatively smaller than the female. In the breeding season the male's belly is flat and its pectoral fins are serrated. The female is comparatively larger; in the breeding season her belly is swollen and soft, and her pectoral fins are not very serrated.
Preparing the pond
In the dry season, clear aquatic weeds from the pond and repair the banks. For small fish, however, the pond should not be dried out, so drag a fine-mesh net repeatedly to remove predatory fish and harmful animals. Then apply 1-2 kg of quicklime per decimal; the dose may be higher or lower depending on the soil.
Apply fertiliser before releasing fingerlings so that enough natural food grows in the pond. It is good to apply 4-6 kg of cow dung, 100 grams of urea and 100 grams of TSP per decimal. Remember, when the water turns green or brownish-green, it is the right time to release fingerlings.
Stocking
Healthy, strong fingerlings of a good strain must be stocked in the right numbers. Before release, transported fingerlings must be acclimatised to the pond water temperature. Make a solution of 10 litres of water with 1 spoon of potassium permanganate or 100 grams of salt, and bathe the fingerlings in it for 1-2 minutes to disinfect them. Some 200-250 healthy fingerlings of 3-4 grams can be stocked per decimal.
Feeding and harvest
Three days after liming, apply 7-8 kg of cow dung per decimal. As supplementary feed, give food with 25-30% protein at 5-10% of body weight twice a day. To produce natural food, apply 4 kg of cow dung every 15 days.
The fish can be harvested when they reach 30-35 grams, within 7-8 months.
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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