Over 500 farmers of the district have changed their socio-economic condition by cultivating different species of fish including indigenous ones. Educated youths of Banduria, Merai, Gunaher, Dampuri, Pawta and Sarjumkiry villages were in financial hardship as they could not manage to get any job. Later, they took short training courses arranged by local Fisheries Department and started cultivating indigenous fishes. Abu Koyen Pramanik, 50, of Kholash village under Dupchanchia Upazila said he had to discontinue his study due to financial hardship. But about two years after leaving school he started improving livelihood, he added. he farmers cultivate fishes in around 5,000 ponds of all 12 upazilas. Most popular fishes are: Tilapia, Pangas, Pabda, Monosex, Gulsa, Shingi, Carp and Eels. Sources said farmers are aware of the quality of fish fry produced at their farm. As a result, the demand for their fry increasing rapidly and now they are taking orders from the other districts, like, Gaibandha, Sylhet, Chittagong, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Khulna, Narsingdi and Rajshahi. The scientists of Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute, Shantaher arrange trainings for the farmers on fish cultivation. Senior fishery officer of the institute Muksudur Rahman said, “We provide all sort of support among the farmers in the area so that the farmers can produce fishes to become financial self-reliant.”