Adoption of modern aquaculture technologies in fish farming: The case of rural Bangladesh

Abstract

Traditional techniques have been used in fish farming in Bangladesh since ancient times. However, nowadays the adoption of modern technologies in fish farming in Bangladesh has revolutionized the industry. The goal of this research was to investigate the factors that influence fish farmers' decisions to accept new technologies for aquaculture and to ascertain the degree to which fish farmers have adopted these new technologies. A total of 101 fish farmers in the Trishal Upazila of the Mymensingh district were randomly selected and interviewed using a structured interview schedule. The research found that most of the sample fish farmers were middle to old-aged, had small farm sizes, and earned low to medium income. A significant number of fish farmers didn't receive any training, and about half of them had moderate farming experience. The majority of respondents in this survey had average levels of extended media interaction, organizational engagement, and fish farming expertise. Based on the statistics, we can deduce that 46.53 % of fish farmers made minimal use of some fish farming technology, while 20.79 % used them very little, and 32.67 % utilized them extensively. From the list of eleven socio-demographic characteristics, adopting modern aquaculture technologies was positively and significantly correlated with education, farm size, annual fish farming income, experience, and knowledge of fish farming. The most significant positive link was seen between fish farming experience and adoption. The survey revealed that financial stress, lack of adequate training, market instability, and resource deficits are the major obstacles to modern aquaculture technology adoption, while cultural resistance is the least significant. These factors collectively slow the progress of modernizing fish farming in Bangladesh, despite the potential benefits of improved yields and sustainability. Hence, by resolving these issues, the study area will have more space to employ advanced aquaculture technologies, paving the way to sustainable fish farming in Bangladesh.