Market Status and Uses of Aqua-Drugs and Chemicals in Aquaculture at Lakhsmipur, Bangladesh

In order to investigate the present status of commercial aqua drugs and chemicals in the local market and their uses on fish health management. A questionnaire survey was carried out for eight months from August 2016 to March 2017 in three upazilas under the district of Lakhsmipur, Bangladesh. Data were collected through questionnaire interview, personal contact, market survey, Participatory Rural Appraisal like Focus Group Discussion with fifteen fish farmers, fifteen retailers of aqua chemical shops, nine representatives of different pharmaceuticals companies in Lakhsmipur sadar upazila, Raipur upazila and Ramgoti upazila. Nine categories of aqua drugs and chemicals were identified in the study area. In this site, 22 companies were found to be supplying different 51 aqua drugs (under nine categories) in the local market, where ten companies supplying around 79% of the total drugs and chemicals. Timsen > Virex>Oxyflow> Renamycin and Aquamycine > Ossi C >Aqua Boost > Aqua Photo> Ammonil> Geolite gold were the most widely used aqua drugs in the district of Lakhsmipur, Bangladesh. In Lakhsmipur sadar upazila, found 27 aqua drug and chemicals and mostly used of Aqua Photo and Ammonil (9%) and Oxyflow, Aqua boost, Virex, Timsen (7%) of each of the total drugs. About 36 aqua drugs and chemicals were reported by the fish farmers at Raipur upazila. Aqua Photo, Oxyflow, and Ammonil were used at 7% of each of the total cases; Biozyme, Aqua Boost, Ossi C, grow fast, gastrap, Geolite gold, and Rotenone were used at 4% of each of total the cases; and Bio-pH was used at 3% of each of the total cases. In this survey, there were 24 different types of aqua drugs and chemicals found in Ramgoti upazila. Ammonil has been used at 11% of the total cases, while Aqua Boost and Charger gel were used at 6% of each of the total cases. In the investigated area, various types of diseases such as Dropsy, EUS (epizootic ulcerative syndrome), red spot and different parasitic diseases were found to occur in Pangus (Pangasianolan hypophthalmus) , Tilapia (Oreochromis nilotica) , Sharputi (Puntius sarana) , Rui (Labeo rohita), Mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala), Thai koi (Anabas testudineus) , Shing ( Heteropneustes fossilis ). Susceptible months of disease outbreak in the study area were August, November, December, January, February, and March. During the field observation, many issues with aqua-drugs were discovered, including farmers’ lack of understanding of drug application, an insufficient withdrawal time, and some negative effects on fish and human health.