Chittagong news

Introduction

Bangladesh is one of the south-east Asian countries. There is the Bay of Benagl to the south part of Bangladesh. It has a vast coastal belt of 710 kilometers with huge marine resources. The Western part of Bay Bengal is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India and Sri-Lanka and Eastern Coast of Bay of Bengal is bordered by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. There are huge marine resource in the Bay of Bengal including marine fishes, crabs,  algae, mollusks, shrimps, minerals etc.

                                     

Coastal and marine environment

•The Bay of Bengal of Bangladesh is a semi-enclosed tropical basin which is attached to the Indian Ocean.

•Bangladesh  has the continental shelf of up to 50m depth with an area of 37,000km2. The Exclusive Economic Zone(EEZ) of  Bangladesh lies from baseline to 200 nautical miles seawards.

•It covers 66,000 km² coastal waters are very shallow (< 10 m depth)about 24,000 km²and (up to <2oom) cover about 70,000 km².     

Categories of marine resources

There are different categories of marine resource available in the Bay of Bengal. Main categories of marine resources which are found in the marine environment of Bangladesh (Bay of Bengal)  are  mentioned bellow:

•Fauna

⁻Fishes

⁻Mollusks

⁻Shrimp

⁻Crabs

•Flora

⁻Sea grass

⁻Sea weeds

⁻Mangroves

•Minerals       

⁻Gas

⁻Oil

Marine fishes

There are a lot of marine fishes found in the Bay of Bengal. About  442 species of marine fishes are found in the Bay of Bengal.

 Some of these fish name and theirs characters are mentioned below:

1.Kamot Hangor (: Carcharhinus melanopterus)

Characterists:

•Stocky body.

•Snout is short and bluntly rounded. 

2.Hangor (Scoliodon sorrakowah)

Characterestic:

• Upper jaw is bigger than the lower jaw.
•  Body is covered with placoid scales.

3. Khurra ( Pristis microdon )

Characterestic:

•Saw long and narrow, tapering towards its tip.
• Second dorsal fin is  subequal with first dorsal fin.

4. Karati hangor (Pristis cuspidatus )

Characteristic:

• 22 pairs of triangular rostral teeth.
• Subcaudal lobe is distinct.

5. Shapla pata (Himantura uarnak )

Characteristic:
•  Diamond shaped and flatted body.                               
 • Distinct eye fairly large.




6 Med (Arius caelatus )    
Characteristics:        
 •Head depressed, concave at nape.
 •Three pair barbels present in the mouth.


7. Hature hangor (Sphyrna blochii  )
8. Pitambari (Rhynobatus granulates )
9. Shankachil (Aetobatus narinari  )
10. Shillong (Silonia silondia )
11.Kata gongra (Arius thatassinus )
12. Gang magur (Plotosus canius )
13. Bombay duck (Harpadon nehereus )
14. Urol (Exocoetus volitans )
15. Ekthuita (Hemirhamphus georgii )
16. Ekthuta (Hyporhamphus gaiimardi )
17. : Urol (Rhinomugil corsula )
18. Dharkuta (Sphyraena jello )
19. Dharkuta (Sphyraena obtusta )
20. Bole (Epinephelus lanceolatus )

Without the above marine fishes there are also a lot marine fishes in the Bay of Bengal. Most of the fishes are captured traditionally and industrially. Which helps Bangladesh government to earn huge amount foreign Currency in every year.

Marine mollusks

There are a huge number of marine mollusks available in the Bay of Bengal. About 336 species of marine mollusks are found in the marine environment of Bangladesh( Bay of Bengal). Three commercially most important mollusks species of Bangladesh are green mussel (Perna viridis), clam (Meretrix meretrix) and oyster(Crassostrea madrasensis) which are found along the coast of Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. Today the mollusks species contribute a significant part of the world fishery. Many species can play a great role in the national economy of Bangladesh.  

Different valuable pearls are also produced from these mollusks.

By proper processing, mollusks and shellfish flesh can also be exported to foreign countries as a new food item with shrimp and crabs. Technologies can be developed for culturing mollusks and shellfish in coastal area of Bangladesh.

Marine shrimps

                                                   

There are about19 species of marine shrimps are found in the marine environment of Bangladesh. Shrimps are captured from the four fishing grounds of Bay of Bangle in an area of about 7,800 sq km of the EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) of Bangladesh and are cultured in about 1,45,000 ha of the coastal area of Khulna and Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh.

Penaeus monodon(tiger shrimp) and penaeus indicus(white shrim) are most commercially important marine shrimp of Bangladesh and fetches a large amount of foreign currency in every year.

                       

Marine crabs

Different crabs are found in the marine environment of Bay of Bangle. About 16 species of crabs are found in the marine environment of Bangladesh. Among the most  commercially important crabs found in Bangladesh (Bay of Bengal) is genius scylla species, which are commonly known as mud crabs, green crabs, or mangrove crabs.Recently crabs are used as very delicious food item. Crabs are cultured commercially and traditionally in Bangladesh. Day by day its popularity is increasing.

          

            

Sea grass

 
 Sea grasses are   marine flowering plant .They live completely submerged into the sea water. In Bangladesh there are some sea grass species available at the near shore area of Bay of Bengal. About 98 species of sea grasses are found in the marine environment of Bangladesh. Halophila beccarii Is one of the most dominant sea grass species of Bangladesh.

Jute is grown in Bangladesh and other south-east Asian countries. Sea grasses are more strong and elastic than jute to make fiber used household necessary things like bag, watch sticker etc. Different sea grass are also used as some medicinal raw materials.

Sea weeds

 

                            Hypnea sp.
Sea weeds are marine non-flowering plants. Normally sea weeds grow at the coastal area. Now a days sea weeds are being cultured in Bangladesh. About 168 species of sea weeds are found in the marine environment of Bangladesh. Most of the dominant sea weeds species in Banagladesh are Caulerpa racemosa and Hypnea sp.

Sea weeds are mainly found at the St. Martin’s Island’s coastal area of Bangladesh. According to Islam (1976) report 133 species are available at the St. Martin’s Island. Caulerpa racemosa and Hypnea sp.are most dominant sea weeds of St. Martin’s Island.

Seaweeds, containing protein, amino acids, vitamins and minerals,

are used as different purposes such as fodder, fertilizer,

human food, industrial and medicine raw materials etc. (Rahman, 1999).

Mangroves

Mangroves of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the coastal marginal countries of the Bay of Bengal. The southernmost part of coastal area of Bangladesh is covered by the largest mangrove forest Sunderban,which has been declared a World Heritage Site .It consists of 10,200km² area including India (4263 km² of Reserve forest) and Bangladesh(5937 km² of Reserve forest.) 
There are also other parts of mangrove forest of Bangladesh such as Chakoria mangrove forest, mangroves of Moheskhali Island etc.

The mangroves have the ability to maintain a suitable water balance inspite of salinity of waters. Some even excretes salts from its leaves.

Mangroves support income, production and employment in different sectors like fisheries and tourism. They also provide essential ecological services which safe the wellbeing of coastal settlements.

Minerals

The minerals found in Bangladesh are  highly demandable both at home and abroad. Very recently Bangladeshi scientists have found eight potential economic minerals in sands of the sea beach in the country and their reserve is estimated 1.76 million tons.

Very recently a survey has been discovered many mineral oil and gas source into the Bay of Bengal.

Ship breaking industry

                                 Ship breaking yard of Bangladesh

Now a dayes ship breaking Industry is one of the most profitable income sector of Bangladesh. This sector is developing day by day.  Bangladesh government has decided to declare the ship-breaking sector as an industry for recycling.

Now ship breaking is the main source of steel production of the country. It generates huge amounts of revenue for various Governments authorities through the payment of taxes. Bangladesh government collects almost 9000 milion taka in revenue from this sector through import duty, yards Duty, yards tax and other taxes.

These economic benefits have made the ship breaking a powerful

Industry of Bangladesh.