The Brackish water sector is an important area of pisciculture in the three coastal districts of West Bengal. In West Bengal, there are about 60000 hectare area is under culture out of 91000 ha of backwaters. Tiger shrimp (P. mono don) along with mullets (bhang on and parse) are the most common and compatible fish species for poly culture in brackish water system. Both the shrimps and mullets has huge local and export market. Farmers are undertaking brackish water farming is mostly interested in polyculture fish farming due to lesser risk factor due to disease outbreak in shrimp monoculture. Here at least farmers can get the product from mullets if disease occurred in shrimp species. Extensive/improved extensive farming is mainly concentrated with proper management strategies, high quality pelletized feed in poly culture system. Good quality seeds of mullets are locally available however for shrimp it is always advisable for hatchery seeds. Farmers are capable to achieve the production @ 3-4 MT/ha/crop for polyculture. To extend the polyculture fish farming of tiger shrimp with mullets, the Fisheries Department has formulated a scheme to be implemented in three coastal districts - Purba Medinipur, South-24-Parganas and Nort-24-Parganas.

Assistance under this scheme has been provided in terms of Shrimp (tiger Prawn) Seed (Avg.PL-15-20 size), Mullet Seed (Bhang on) ((Avg. 1 -2 inch), Mullet Seed (Parshe) (Avg. 1 -2 inch), as Government Contributions. Beneficiary contributions are Lime, Urea, Single Super Phosphate, Mullet feed, Shrimp feed,  Probiotics, Prophylactics. The unit area of the Scheme is 1.0 bigha.

• Government assistance is of Rs. 35000.00. Shrimp and Mullets seed is provided under this schemes. Feed and other components are being arranged by beneficiaries.