Current status and prospects of farming the giant river prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man) in Bangladesh

Giant river prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) farming plays an important role in the economy of Bangladesh. Presently, it is cultured in around 50 000 ha area with total annual production of 23 240 t. Traditional extensive prawn farming has been expanding over the last three decades through the introduction and adoption of improved culture systems, such as culture of prawn-carps, prawn-shrimp-fish and prawn-fish-rice as concurrent and rotational systems. Efforts for the development of improved techniques on broodstock management, seed production and rearing and grow-out of prawn have been made over the last decade. The outcomes are low-cost feed for broodstock, production of post-larvae in net cages (hapa), all-male prawn culture, periphyton based prawn-tilapia culture, C/N based prawn culture, organic prawn farming, prawn-mola culture and prawn-carp-mola polyculture. Despite the development of culture technologies, a number of challenges for sustainable development of prawn farming need to be overcome to realize the potentials of this promising sector. Good aquaculture practises at all levels and application of measures for quality control and food safety would ensure sustainable development of prawn farming in Bangladesh.