Yield Performance, Proximate Composition, Fatty Acid Profile and Economic Viability of Farmed Oyster (Crassostrea spp.) in Bangladesh

Abstract

Oyster meat is consumed for its high nutritional value. Marine oysters (several species under the genus Crassostrea) have been commercially cultured long since around the world to satisfy the increased demand of oysters. Bangladesh has taken approaches to initiate oyster mariculture. Three pilot commercial oyster (Crassostrea spp.) farms were constructed by District Fisheries Office, Cox’s Bazar at Nunia Chara (NC – 21°28ˈ19.5" N, 91°57ˈ42.7" E), Chowfoldandy (CD – 21°30ˈ44.1" N, 92°01ˈ00.1" E) and Sonadia Island (SI – 21°30ˈ18.7" N, 91°53ˈ43.3" E) in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Live oysters were collected from the farm and taken to the laboratory maintaining cold chain to analyze proximate and fatty acids. Data on yield as well as cost-benefit were collected from the District Fisheries Office, Cox’s Bazar to analyze yield performance and economic viability. Biological yield was observed 19.9 ± 5.7 kg/m2 and economic yield was observed 11.3 ± 2.5 kg/m2. Moisture, protein, lipid, carbohydrate, ash and fiber were found 79.2 ± 0.2%, 58.1 ± 2.1%, 10.2 ± 0.7%, 13.5 ± 1.4%, 12.3 ± 0.7% and 0.4 ± 0.0%, respectively, while moisture was determined in wet weight basis and the rest were determined in dry weight basis. Saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, omega-3 fatty acid, omega-6 fatty acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid were observed 35.22 ± 10.91%, 13.77 ± 4.36%, 7.39 ± 4.00%, 43.62 ± 19.21, 51.01 ± 15.23% of total fatty acid, respectively. The annual net profit of the farms was found 34557 ± 5636 BDT and the payback period was found 2.6 ± 0.4 years. Thus, oyster farming was found to be potential for high food value as well as an economically viable oyster farm enterprise.