Introduction:
Before the Independence of Bangladesh, an institution has started its journey, which is, with the liberation of Bangladesh, declared a new war for newborn Bangladesh against hunger and food scarcity through producing skillful graduates and research excellence; The Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU). In this war against hunger and to assure food security for increasing population and for future, a frontier has been made by Faculty of Fisheries, BAU (BAU-FF). Considering the vast fisheries resources and its potential for development, BAU-FF was established in 1967 as the first full-fledged institution for higher education in fisheries not only in Bangladesh but also in this sub-continent. BAU-FF is the result of first attempts for higher education in fisheries in Bangladesh, thus, it is considered the home of higher fisheries education in Bangladesh. At present, it is well known to the world for its research excellence on fisheries science by the outstanding performance of the graduates and teachers.
Location:
Within the evergreen university campus, BAU-FF is located in scenic rural setting on the western bank of the Old Brahmaputra River, 5 km south of Mymensingh town, and 120 km north from Dhaka.
Contact Address:
Dean
Faculty of Fisheries
Bangladesh Agricultural University Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh.
Tel: (091) 52236
Fax: 091 55810
Website: www.bau.edu.bd/Fisheries
Aim of the BAU-FF:
The aim of the faculty is to offer internationally standard fisheries education, so that, the students, on completion of their studies, can contribute towards increased fish production through Scientific Aquaculture, Aquatic Research Management and Post-harvest Processing and Quality control. Instead of this, different research activity is also the aim of BAU-FF.
Academic structure:
At present, there are 369 students at the undergraduate, 264 MS and 26 PhD level in this faculty. There are currently 53 academic staffs in the Faculty who are involved in teaching, research and outreach programs. Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib Fisheries College at Melandaha, Jamalpur is an affiliated institution of BAU maintained through BAU-FF.
Currently the faculty of Fisheries is offering the following degree programs:
- Bachelor of Science in Fisheries (Hons.)
- Master of Science
- PhD in Fisheries
The BAU-FF has four departments:
- Department of Fisheries Biology and Genetics
- Department of Aquaculture
- Department of Fisheries Management
- Department of Fisheries Technology
Curriculum in brief (For Undergraduate program):
| Departments | Prime aspects of concern in curriculum | Name of the courses offered |
| Department of Fisheries Biology and Genetics | Biology, physiology, breeding, genetics and biodiversity of fish and shell fish. | Fisheries Zoology, General Ichthyology, Biodiversity and Fishery Systematics, Embryology, Biology of Farmed Fishes, Fish Physiology, Shellfish Biology, Principles of Genetics, Reproductive Physiology of Fishes, Genetics and Reproduction of Ornamental Fish, Genetics and Fish Breeding, Hatchery Management, Principles of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. |
| Department of Aquaculture | Different branches of aquaculture particularly culture, nutrition and disease. | Introductory Aquaculture, Geographical Information System (GIS) in Fisheries, Freshwater Aquaculture, Coastal Aquaculture, Fish Parasitology, Live Food Culture, Fish Pathology, Environmental Management for Aquaculture, Fish Nutrition, Fish Farm Design and Construction, Shellfish Diseases, Prevention and Control of Fish Diseases, Ornamental Fish Culture, Fish Feed Technology, Integrated Aqua farming, Fish Immunology |
| Department of Fisheries Management | Aquatic ecology, Limnology and Fisheries management | Aquatic Ecology, Fisheries Resources, Wetland Ecosystem, Physico-chemical Limnology, Fish Population Dynamics, Biological Limnology, Fish Stock Assessment, Aquatic Soil Science, Fisheries Management, Fisheries Research Planning and Evaluation, Aquatic Pollution and Toxicology, Oceanography and Marine Biology |
| Department of Fisheries Technology | Harvest and Post-Harvest Fisheries Technology with special importance on fishing technology, fish handling, fish processing and storage, microbiology and quality control. | Fish Harvesting, Principles of Fish Handling and Preservation, Fisheries Microbiology, Marine Food Chemistry, Fish Processing, Microbiology of Fishery Products, Fishery Products and By-products, Quality Control of Fishery Products |
Besides the above mentioned courses students have to receive courses on Statistics, Economics, Biochemistry, Sociology and Agriculture extension.
A further recent update of course and curricula of the faculty has been made in January 2011 with the inclusion of important new courses such as Computer Science, Water Quality Management, Integrated and Organic Aquafarming, Aquatic Animal Health and Immunology, Agri-business and Marketing, Quality Control of Fish and Fishery Products, and Marine Fisheries Management to address the emerging needs of the sector.
Admission system:
Through the admission test after the Higher Secondary Examination (HSC) one student can get admitted in the faculty if he/she is eligible according to the university’s terms and conditions. The admission test is held once in a year. Presently, the BAU-FF holds 111 seats for admission. All information about admission will be available at the official website of the university, www.bau.edu.bd .
Major achievements:
The fisheries graduates have made commendable contributions towards the development of aquaculture and fisheries in this country. The faculty has so far educated 2,371 fisheries graduates with BSc Fisheries (Hons.) degree; 1649 with Master’s degree (M Sc and M.S.) and 48 with PhD degree.
The Fisheries Faculty experienced a major leap forward in its improvement through establishment of a formal link programme with the University of Starling, Scotland, UK under a starling-BAU link project (1992-1995). Besides, updating of courses and curricula, capacity building and carrying out of demand led research, four specialized laboratories named Fish Disease Laboratory, Water Quality and Pond Dynamics Laboratory, Fish Genetics and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Fish Nutrition Laboratory have been set up through this link programme. A recent update in course and curricula has achieved by the faculty in January, 2011.
Faculty of Fisheries has made a remarkable contribution in the development of technologies in various fields of fisheries, most of which is use at the farm levels. Through untiring efforts of the teachers and research students of the Faculty of Fisheries, many different technologies have been developed over last three decades, some of the important ones mention are: induced breeding of indigenous and exotic carps, breeding of air breathing cat fishes (magur, shing ), breeding of endangered fishes (meni, baim, sharpunti, rita and pangas), nursery techniques of fish seeds, cage aquaculture, culture of small indigenous species (SIS), major carps, cat fishes, periphyton-based carps and tilapia-prawn culture, duckweed- based aquaculture, rice-fish/prawn culture, carp-mola-prawn culture, pond-dyke-integrated aquaculture, culture of mollusks/ sea weed, live food culture, fish feed using low cost materials, control of fish diseases using herbal medicines, microbiology of fishery products, solar and tunnel drier, low cost package for fish transportation, and production and popularization of different value added fishery products (e.g. fish burger, fish ball and fish stick)
Other research facility and resources:
The BAU-FF with its four departments possesses a field laboratory, a fish farm, complete hatchery complex, and a Fish Museum and Biodiversity Centre. These are not the end, just beside the BAU-FF there are more than 30 ponds, a raceway system, Wet Laboratory and Aquarium, Mini hatchery and breeding Complex and a backyard shed to conduct different research activity. The faculty possesses a faculty library and cyber centre of its own.
Fish Museum and Biodiversity Centre (FMBC), established in 2009 in Faculty of Fisheries Field Laboratory, is one of the largest of its kind in South Asia given the size and diversity of its exhibits and collections. The museum already boasts an impressive collection of inland fish species of Bangladesh. The museum also includes exhibits of extinct fossil and contemporary species, interactive exhibits and a media room. The goal of the centre is to create an educational centre using interactive exhibits that focuses on Bangladesh’s rich cultural history of fish and in raising awareness of the need to develop measure for conservation and management ensuring the sustainability of Bangladesh’s aquatic fauna. Its mission is to introduce the students and people of all ages with the rich aquatic biodiversity of the country and to build up and responsibility for maintenance of their rich heritages for future generation.
Postgraduate students, particularly students of M.S. conduct their experiment and research work in the ponds just beside the BAU-FF. Moreover, a raceway system, Wet Laboratory and Aquarium, Mini hatchery and breeding Complex and a backyard shed is established to conduct different research activity.
These facility and resources are not only used for research purpose but also for teaching purposes. In recent years a faculty library and cyber center is established, these facilities are seems to be very useful for the students.
Future vision:
The faculty has future vision of establishing a new department “Department of Marine Science and Oceanography” as well as 3 outreach stations at Cox’s Bazar, Sundarbans and Sunamgonj. A 6 months long compulsory internship for all graduate students will be introduced in near as well. Future research programmes will focus on genetic improvements of carps, coastal and marine ecosystem and fisheries coastal aquaculture of Hilsa and important fin-fishes, climate resilient aquaculture, low-cost feed development, environment and fish health management, conservation and sustainable management of haor fisheries, and food safety and aquatic product quality.
Conclusion:
In the present situation of Bangladesh, if we want to keep pace with the fast running world, we have to compete with the giants of aquaculture production like China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and such other countries. Furthermore, climate change, food security in relation to increasing population etc. also appears before us as invincible competitors. Thus, we need more sophistication, improvisation and modernization of fisheries education and research. From an optimistic insight, let’s hope that, BAU-FF will be one of the leading institutions in sophistication, improvisation and modernization of fisheries education and research of Bangladesh.
Acknowledgement:
- Dr. M. Mahfujul Haque (PhD, Aquaculture Systems and Development, Stirling, UK), Professor, Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202.
- Dr. Gias Uddin Ahmed, Professor, Department of Aquaculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Faculty of Fisheries, Mymensingh-2202.
- Dr. Mostafa Ali Reza Hossain, Professor, Department of Fisheries Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Fisheries, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202.
- Dr. Mst. Kaniz Fatema, Assistant Professor, Department of Fisheries Management, Faculty of Fisheries, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202.
- Dr. ABM Mohsin, Department of Fisheries, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh.
- Maruf Hossain Minar, Department of Fisheries Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Fisheries, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202.
- Anas Al Islam, Faculty of Fisheries, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202.
References:
- Academic, Research and Technological Achievements and Future Vision of Bangladesh Agricultural University (Keynote paper) , Symposium on the occasion of Golden jubilee and Alumni Reunion, 03-04 January, 2013, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.
- Official website of BAU, www.bau.edu.bd
- Nahiduzzaman, M. 2011. Institute Profile: Fish Museum and Biodiversity Center, BAU. BdFISH.
Notes:
- More Photographs are available here.
- Details information about all the departments under the faculty of fisheries, BAU are presented here.
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