Sustainable Aqua-Tech: Transforming Aquaculture in Bangladesh Using Modern Technological Innovations

Abstract

Aquaculture in Bangladesh is primarily characterized by smallholder inland freshwater carp, pangas, and tilapia farming in ponds, as well as some shrimp and prawn farming in coastal areas. It is quite different from the large-scale offshore systems frequently discussed in global technology reviews, so there is a gap between the available innovations and what is feasible locally. This review covers technologies like IoT, Cloud computing, Artificial intelligence, Robotics, Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), aquaponics, and Alternative protein feeds for fish. The technologies are assessed for their suitability to the size, infrastructure, and economics of Bangladeshi aquaculture. The results indicate that the most feasible alternatives for the present are the use of low-cost sensor-based aeration, mobile and SMS management tools, small-scale biofloc-assisted RAS for hatcheries and high-value species, and plant or insect-based feed alternatives. This is supported by recent pilot projects on tilapia-catfish RAS (Bangladesh) and on IMTA prawn systems. In contrast, technologies suitable for offshore or larger-scale operations, like full-scale industrial RAS, deep-sea smart cages, and traditional seaweed-based marine IMTA, are hampered by problems of unreliable electricity supply, lack of resources for accessing capital, support services, and IMTA's inability to match the mostly freshwater, inland production in Bangladesh. Thus, technology implementation in Bangladesh must be delivered on a local level and local infrastructure rather than being blindly repeated from foreign models. This review provides a pathway for near- and long-term adoption to inform policy and investment decisions.