Approximately 35 farmers in Chaital village, situated in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, have successfully incorporated mangrove plantation into their shrimp cultivation practices. This innovative method garnered praise from experts who visited the village recently on the occasion of International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.
Pintu Das, owner of a 12 bigha pond in Chaital, has transformed his aquaculture landscape by introducing clusters of trees, primarily the Avicennia marina, commonly known as the bain tree. Notably, mangrove expert K. Kathiresan commended the remarkable growth of these trees, emphasizing the suitability of Avicennia for the region due to its unique ability to absorb salinity from the soil.
During the visit, international mangrove management specialist Ravi Shankar Thupalli underscored the manifold benefits of mangroves. Beyond serving as a natural feed source for shrimp through leaf litter, the increased presence of trees attracts birds, subsequently enhancing shrimp yields. Encouraged by these observations, experts advised local shrimp farmers to intensify mangrove plantation for denser foliage and, consequently, higher yields.
Farmers in Chaital, including Pintu Das and Ashok Das, attested to the economic advantages of using mangrove leaf litter as a sustainable shrimp feed alternative. Significantly, this innovative approach has proven effective in mitigating viral infections that previously posed challenges to shrimp yields.
The cultivated shrimp species include Penaeus monodon (tiger prawn), Penaeus indicus (chapra chingri), and Macrobrachium rosenbergii (golda chingri), contributing substantially to the economic well-being of local farmers alongside indigenous fish varieties.
In the context of frequent cyclones and high tides affecting the Sundarbans, a prominent shrimp cultivation region, mangrove trees play a pivotal role. Their intricate root system helps stabilize the soil and serves as a natural barrier against storm surges, thereby preventing significant losses during adverse weather conditions.
This groundbreaking initiative to integrate shrimp cultivation with mangrove plantation is part of the Sustainable Aquaculture In Mangrove Ecosystem (SAIME) project initiated in 2020 by the Nature Environment and Wildlife Society (NEWS), an NGO dedicated to the preservation of natural ecosystems. Supported by funding from the Government of Germany (BMZ) and the Global Nature Fund, the project aims to restore a harmonious balance between aquaculture and mangrove conservation in the ecologically fragile Sundarbans region.
Experts believe that this nature-centric approach, emphasizing the integration of mangroves with fisheries, signifies a positive shift towards sustainable practices, rectifying the environmental impact caused by the displacement of traditional methods when aquaculture initially gained prominence in the Sunderbans.
Source: The Hindu