Purba Medinipur Shrimp Aquaculture Cooperative West Bengal

Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal along the Bay of Bengal coast from Digha to Contai is India major shrimp aquaculture zone, producing Penaeus vannamei Pacific white shrimp and tiger prawn in coastal bhery brackish water ponds for export to Southeast Asia, Japan, and the EU. The bhery pond aquaculture system adapted traditional coastal salt farm land to fish and shrimp cultivation from the 1980s onward as salt prices fell. Cooperative fish farmer societies in the Ramnagar, Khejuri, and Contai blocks support member farmers with hatchery seed, feed procurement, and cold chain access to Kolkata and Chennai export processing units. Digha fishing cooperative manages marine fishing alongside aquaculture, supplying fresh fish to Digha beach tourist economy and Kolkata Koley market. The Hilsa conservation cooperative zone between Digha and Sagar island restricts trawling during the monsoon breeding season to protect the species.