Saltwater Prawn Hatching industry can become Main Business in Maungtaw District

 November 8, 2016

"There are over 15600 acres of saltwater prawn hatching area in Maungtaw District. If it can be effectively implemented, prawn hatching can become a main business," said U Naing Win Thein, Deputy Director of Fisheries Department.

 

"The population is over 800,000 in Maungtaw District where over 200,000 viss of fish can be produced. The fish production in this area was insufficient for the local needs. So, fisheries businesses must be extended. To promote fish production, we need to hatch more fish. If we can lift the lakes for prevention of sea water, 300 or 400 viss of fish could be produced per acre. If we can upgrade the cold storage factories, it can be sufficient for local consumers. And we can also export to other countries. As a result, it can increase our foreign currency income, " said U Naing Win Thein.

U Htin Aung Lin from Alae ThanKyaw fish hatching camp, also said that "We established this camp in 1999-2000. Our business is mainly on yearly fish hatching and we distributed them to salt water prawn breeding lakes. We temporally stopped this business after 2012. In 2016-2017, we have already got a budget to restart this business. Prawn season will start from November and December. There are many saltwater prawn production facilities in Maungtaw district. In my point of view, the saltwater prawn hatching business is essential for this area along the Bangladesh border. We distribute our prawns from Maungtaw to Sittway District. It is also a marketable and beneficial business for the locals. There are many prawn hatching camps in Rakhine State and they are free from disease. There is a little problem in transporting medicine and feed stuff for the camp and also power shortages, we have to use diesel engines and the gas can harm prawn breeding. But, we, local people are happy to hear about the power supply projects that will be implemented in the near future."