Sustainability of Freshwater Prawn Farming in Rice Fields in Southwest Bangladesh

Abstract

Farming of the freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) in rice fields is widespread in southwest Bangladesh. It plays an important role in the economy of the country, earning foreign exchange, increasing food production and providing opportunities for employment. This paper provides an overview of the sustainability of prawn farming in rice fields in southwest Bangladesh. It concludes that integrated prawn-fish-rice farming can help Bangladesh keep pace with current demand for fish and rice, and enhance economic development through exports of prawns. However, while prawn farming in rice fields has huge potential, there are environmental consequences. Some of these may eventually reduce productivity of the prawn–fish–rice farming system itself; others are the inevitable consequence of an expanding human population sequestering all available resources to itself.