CPP Final workshop Dhaka - Sept 2000 Homestead culture of the African Catfish By Felix Marttin

1. CPP Final workshop Dhaka - Sept 2000 Homestead culture of the African Catfish By Felix Marttin

2. Poverty alleviation through homestead fish culture Homestead catfish culture in Bangladesh Fisheries section Compartmentalization Pilot Project, Tangail Bangladesh

3. The poorest of the poor have no access to ponds

4. Effect of traditional aquaculture extension in Bangladesh: • Landless 300 kg/(ha*year) Tilapia, Common carp, Thai puti • Small 550 kg/(ha*year) Tilapia, Common carp, Thai puti • Medium 1050 kg/(ha*year) Silvercarp, Catla, Rui, Mrigal • Large 2000 kg/(ha*year) Catla, Rui, Mrigal, Silvercarp

5. The ponds of the poorest of the poor have a low production potential for the involved households

6. Other kind of aquaculture extension: Homestead Fish Culture Programme

7. Rural poor in a vicious circle; the poverty circle Poverty No income The homestead fish culture programme aims to break this circle No income generating resources

8. What is available for poor people in Bangladesh? • Labouring • Some land on which their shack is build • Water • What the area around the homestead offers (snails, bivalves, mosquitoes, etc)

9. Requirements for Homestead Fish Culture: • Fish fry • Water • Food for the fish • Ditch (one square meter)

10. Examples of ditches:

11. Examples of ditches:

12. What fish species can be used? • Survive in anoxic water (water without oxygen) • Easy to keep, the fish can eat what is available around the homestead • Fast growing • Fry cheap and available • Accepted by participants and market Species used by CPP: African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus)

13. Criteria for participation in the CPP homestead catfish culture programme: • General poor condition • Landless • Walls of the shack consist of jute, mud or bamboo

14. CPP homestead catfish culture data Participants: 80% Females, 15% Males, 5% Children Average household size: 4.7 (1.4 male, 1.3 female, 2 children) Average daily income per household: 61.4 Taka Average number of meals: 2 - 3 meals per day

15. Rules for catfish culture: • The fish need to be fed every day • The food can be anything except grass and plastic • Bad smelling water needs to be changed • No size differences of the fish are allowed

16. Environmental concerns: • Clarias gariepinus is an exotic species in Bangladesh • Depletion of resources around the homestead

17. Clarias gariepinus is an exotic species • Introduced in the mid 1980’s • Reproduction in Bangladeshi conditions is not proven • Open water is not stocked in the programme, high chance of capture before reproduction size • Perceived as a ferocious predator, but is a lazy, opportunistic omnivore (0-8 planktivorous, >8 omnivorous)

18. Depletion of resources around the homestead • The effect of homestead fish culture on the surroundings of the homestead needs to be investigated • Food gathering is opportunistic behaviour, if a food source is abundantly available it will be collected, if not, alternatives will be sought after

20. CPP homestead catfish culture data Investments needed for homestead catfish culture: 10 Tk (fry) On average 1 hour per day (four months) Return per batch: 5 kilo’s of catfish Equal to: 400 Tk OR...

21. Production of 160000 biri sticks OR...

22. 10 days of brick breaking

23. Conclusions: • Successful method of poverty alleviation • Can be a useful tool to improve the position of women

24. Recommendations: • Research in the effect of the method on the resources around the homestead • Research for alternative species • Application of this method as a tool for poverty alleviation and the improvement of the position of women

25. Homestead catfish culture CPP Tangail, Bangladesh

26. CPP Final workshop