Floods Cause Tk 91 Crore Losses To Chattogram Fisheries Sector

Continuous heavy rainfall and flooding have caused extensive damage to the fisheries sector in Chattogram, with nearly 10,000 fish farms and water bodies inundated and large quantities of fish washed away. A preliminary assessment by the district fisheries department has estimated the total financial loss at more than Tk 91 crore.

The damage was reported across 15 upazilas of Chattogram, including Banshkhali, Satkania and Lohagara, where thousands of fish farmers have suffered severe setbacks after losing their cultivated fish stocks. The assessment was released by the Chattogram District Fisheries Office on Saturday, 11 July.

According to the survey conducted by the fisheries department, prolonged rainfall and flooding over more than a week submerged 9,933 ponds, reservoirs and other water bodies. In addition, 320 fish enclosures were completely affected by floodwaters. The total flooded area has been estimated at 4,111 hectares.

Banshkhali experienced the highest level of damage among the affected areas. Satkania and Lohagara followed, with more than 3,000 ponds and water bodies submerged in the two upazilas combined.

Chattogram District Fisheries Officer Salma Begum said that rainfall which began on 5 July caused widespread flooding in all 15 upazilas of the district. She added that the initial survey showed losses exceeding Tk 91 crore due to the destruction of fish farms, ponds and related infrastructure.

The flooding has resulted in the loss of thousands of tonnes of fish and fish fry. According to the assessment, around 3,123 tonnes of mature fish were washed away from affected water bodies. The flood also caused the loss of approximately 570 tonnes of shrimp and 60 lakh fish fry, creating further financial pressure on small and medium-scale fish farmers.

The fisheries department’s assessment showed that Banshkhali alone suffered losses worth Tk 41.50 crore, making it the worst-affected area. Satkania recorded losses of around Tk 11 crore, while Lohagara suffered damage estimated at Tk 8.5 crore. Karnaphuli and Chandanaish each reported losses of around Tk 6 crore.

Among other affected areas, Patiya reported flooding in 1,435 water bodies, Anwara in 1,100, Karnaphuli in 557 and Chandanaish in 383 water bodies. The widespread flooding disrupted fish production activities and damaged years of investment made by farmers.

The survey also highlighted that losses were not limited to fish stocks alone. Infrastructure damage across the 15 affected upazilas was estimated at Tk 86.5 lakh. The loss caused by washed-away fish accounted for around Tk 65 crore, while damage involving fish fry contributed another Tk 23 crore to the total losses.

Fisheries officials said efforts would continue to assess the full extent of the damage and take necessary steps following the government’s directives. The disaster has raised fresh concerns among fish farmers about recovery, restocking and the financial challenges they may face in restoring their farms after the floods.