Bangladesh develops first integrated method to farm Artemia, salt on same land
Researchers say the dual-farming method can boost the blue economy by producing local Artemia, better salt, and export income
For the first time in Bangladesh, researchers at the University of Chittagong's Institute of Marine Sciences have developed an integrated method to cultivate Artemia and salt on the same land. The innovation departs from the long-standing practice of producing them separately and creates new scope for dual farming within the country's fisheries and salt sectors.
Artemia is widely used as high-quality live feed in fish and shrimp hatcheries. The dried eggs, or "cysts", of this tiny salt-tolerant organism are globally traded, and demand has grown in Bangladesh's marine hatcheries in recent years. The country imports 40–50 metric tonnes of Artemia annually, worth nearly Tk50 crore. Researchers believe local production through this new method could help retain this economic value within the country.
The technique enables simultaneous production of Artemia and salt, which is expected to benefit coastal farmers by reducing costs, increasing income, and making farming systems more efficient and sustainable. If local Artemia can be exported, foreign currency earnings may also increase, contributing positively to the national economy.
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Researchers have urged entrepreneurs to invest in the sector so technical knowledge can reach farmers quickly. With adequate incentives, training, infrastructure, and policy support, they believe integrated Artemia–salt farming could spread nationwide, creating employment and boosting export-orientated opportunities.
A field trial was conducted on an elevated, levelled salt farm in Battola under Chowfaldandi Union of Cox's Bazar Sadar upazila. The site's favourable dry-season conditions were crucial for Artemia cultivation. As part of the project, a guideline titled "Field Manual for Integrated Farming of Artemia and Salt" was published, outlining Artemia cultivation methods, pond preparation, feed management, biomass and cyst collection, salt harvesting, flake feed production, processing, and marketing.
The project began in June 2024 with funding from the Department of Fisheries' Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fisheries Project (SCMFP). Field activities were completed in July 2025. The research was supervised by Dr M Shafiqul Islam, with team members Professor Aysha Akhtar, Associate Professor Md Mostafa Monwar, Assistant Professor Mohammad Nesarul Hoque, and lecturers Mitu Ranjan Sarker and Alam Pervez. Ten research assistants also contributed.
Dr Shafiqul Islam said the team later conducted farmer training and workshops in October. He believes that implementing the system across Bangladesh's nearly 700km coastline would support the country's blue economy. "We now need public and private entrepreneurs so that locally produced Artemia, cysts, biomass and salt can be commercially marketed. With government incentives, this can become a promising industry," he told TBS.
Researcher Alam Pervez said the method could become an income source for marginal farmers and women, given the high hatchery demand for Artemia as live protein.
Research assistant Marcy Meenakshi Mrong noted that proper salinity, temperature, and feed management can produce high-quality Artemia locally, reducing import dependence and hatchery costs.
Research assistants Tasnim Akter and Esha Salbeen said integrated farming can boost salt quality and farmer income, as Artemia improves water quality and produces clearer, purer salt when channelled into salt fields.
