Impact of Aquaculture and Contemporary environmental issues in Bangladesh

Abstract

Environmental issues are ignored in Bangladesh while considering aquaculture practices but unfortunately the environment suffers the most because of over exploitation. The stress of aquaculture over environment starts with the collection of fish seed, because the natural water body is till now the prime source of aquaculture stocking materials. In aquaculture plenty of tons of water and exchange of that is needed periodically but in our country we have a very little or in most of the cases don't have any waste water treatment facility in hatcheries or culture farms and that's why recycle of waste water or treat water before discharge to the nature is not possible till now. In most cases, the used water or wastage of aquaculture is being released to the natural waterbody or main river stream without any treatment which leads to the disease outbreak, invasion of undesired species or foreign species, imbalance in biodiversity and ecosystem. Besides in our aquaculture a plenty of chemicals are being used and then these chemicals get discharged into the environment it also have adverse impact over the environment and its biodiversity. The above mentioned factors are creating stress over the environment and resulting adversely. The most credible solution is properly following the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) and GAP (Good Aquaculture Practice) guidelines. Only then we can expect that our aquaculture practices will not hamper or degrade the environmental balance rather, it would enhance the possibility of environmental sustainability over long run.