Aila causes colossal damage to Patuakhali fish resources

Washes away 2,214 tonne shrimp
Nikhil Chatterjee . Patuakhali

THE cyclone Aila that hit the country's south-western region on May 25 caused a colossal damage to fish resources in the coast district Patuakhali.
Tidal surges triggered by the storm submerged most part of the district washing away shrimp from 1,617 enclosures and fish from about 50,000 ponds.
A large number of fishermen also lost their fishing net, trawlers and boats in the onslaughts of tidal waves.
Although the government estimate showed that the loss in the district's fishery sector would be
Tk 166 crore, the figure will be much higher, said sources in the fish cultivators.
According to sources in the District Fishery Office, Patuakhali, tidal waves up to 10 to 12 feet high that kept the district submerged for seven hours washed away more than 2,214 tonnes of shrimp from 1617 farms on 5,293 hectares of land.
The tidal surges also washed away more than 3,500 tonnes of fish from 49,290 ponds.
Moreover, around 8,000 fishermen were badly affected by the cyclone as they lost their fishing net, trawlers and fishing boats.
Kalapara, Bauphal and Galachipa are the worst-affected upazilas which lost shrimp from 1,365 enclosures and fish from 12,700 ponds.
The loss incurred by the three upazilas has been estimated at Tk 206 crore.
Md. Nazrul Islam and Md Mizanur Rahman, president and secretary of the District Shrimp Farm Owners respectively told New Age that almost all owners established shrimp farms taking loan from bank.
But the cyclone Aila shattered all their hopes.
Before this, the 'Sidr' was destroyed their shrimp farms and they had compelled to face a huge amount of money.
They did not get any kind of assistance from
the government for re-establishing their farms again, the leaders alleged.
Md Siddiqur Rahman, an owner of a shrimp farm at Char Montaj under Galachipa upazila of the district said, 'After a huge loss, I re-established my shrimp farm on 12 acres of land. I went to the different schedule banks for loan to re-establish my shrimp farm, but I was regretted from there.
On interest, I have taken loan from my relatives and friends after the cyclone 'Aila'. I do not know, what will be happened in the next days'.

New Age BD. 21 july, 2009