Site selection Jessore is a district in the southwestern tip of Bangladesh at Indian border westward ago. Many seed producer, broker, wholesale seeds, seed retailers, day laborers and transporters are involved in seed distribution systems and marketing of fish seeds in this area. The area is particularly important for seed marketing system of some freshwater and some marine fish. Chasra in central Jessore under Jessore district was selected for the study.
There were various methods of data collection for marketing studies. Selection of a particular method depends on many considerations, such as nature of research problem, available literature, primary information, availability of funds and time. And most important was the logistic and laboratory help from local universities, government office, fisheries stations etc. The present study was conducted in two ways: 1. Questioner interview among hatchery owners, nursery pond owners, transport vehicle owners and fish seed retailers about prices according to length and weight of various fish seeds (fry, fingerlings & juveniles) with supply and marketing of those seeds. 2. Measuring weight and length of those particular fish seeds in laboratory to get data accuracy. Then all data is crosschecked and recorded down in results.
Seed sample collection & measurement processing Fry collection Numerous fry of 20 different fish sp. were collected form different hatcheries of that area by a cordial negotiation with hathcery onners. Some labour and technichians were helped to collect sample by plastic medicine spoon and packing them in a tiny polythenebag with a paper lebeling (containing local name of that fish); stapple outside of the polybag. There was no extra oxygen supply used for the packaging of fry. Fry transportation to laboratory After collection, the fry were brought in Central Laboratory for Biological Science of Jessore Science and Technology University (JSTU) through local bus; putting them in handbag manually. Fry Leangth measuring In JSTU laboratory, the fry bag was being unpacked, poured them in a white medicine spoon. Then collection of one fry was done carefully by serienge and was put them on a transparent plastic. Then, by using milimeter scale, the length of fry is carefully observed and recorded.
Fry weight measuring It was done by an airtight Electronic Weight Machine (EWM; Model-ATY224. Due to tiny in size, about 10-15 fries were siphoned up by serienge (without niddle) with water and pushed down on a transparent polythene (the weight of polythene was pre-measured and nutralized the EWM to level zero) and put them on measuring plate of EWM. Extra water was siphoned out carefully by serienge with porous niddle. Then arilock door is pulled for closing. Then the digital reading of EMW was carefully observed and recorded. Fingerling and juvenile collection At least three fingerlings and juveniles of 20 different fish sp. were randomly collected form different nursery pond of that area by a cordial negotiation with nursery pond onners. Some labour and technichians helped to collect them by cast net and packing them in a polybag with a paper lebeling (containing local name for that fish); stapple outside of the polybag. Transportation to laboratory After collection, they brought in Central Laboratory for Biological Science of Jessore Science and Technology University (JSTU) through local bus; putting them in handbag manually.
Leangth measuring In JSTU laboratory, seeds were put on white chopping board and collected one piece manualy to put them on a glass framed graph-board. Then, by using centimeter scale, the length of fingerling was carefully observed and recorded. Weight measuring It was done by an Electronic Precision Balance (EPB; ModelEK1200i) which can measure two digit after decimal. Due to big in size, one fingerling or juveniles was placed on measuring plate of EPB with arilock cubic cover. Then the digital reading of EPB was carefully observed and recorded. After collecting the data through questionnaire interviews, it was necessary to check the information for justification of the collected data. Crosscheck interviews were conducted with key informants such as Upazila Fisheries Officer (UFO), District Fisheries Officers (DFO), scientific officer of Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) and relevant NGO workers where information was contradictory or requested for further assessment. The interviewed length and weight from target groups were also cross-checked with laboratory results and accurate data was noted down.
Data processing and analysis The collected data were scrutinized and summarized carefully before the actual tabulation. Some of the collected data were in local units due to respondent’s familiarity with those units. These data of local units were converted into international units before transferring to the computer. The length and weight of 20 different fish seed from questioner survey among seed traders was compared to the length and weight of those fish seeds which were obtained in laboratory measurement. To know the primary health condition (growth, primary seed quality), seed’s condition factors were calculated according to Htun-Han (1978) equation as per formula given below: Condition factor (K) = weight\Length3 X 100. Preliminary data sheets (in computer) were compared with the original questionnaire and result sheets to ensure the accuracy of the data entry. After data entry, data were processed and finally analyzed with Microsoft Excel version 2007.