Given declines in MR provision, more attention needs to be paid to building capacity, including hiring and training more providers of MR. Harm-reduction approaches should be pursued to increase the safety of clandestine use of misoprostol in Bangladesh.

Aquatic fern Azolla pinnata comprises significant high food value with a good proportion of protein, vitamins, and minerals. This study was carried out to examine the effect of fresh A. pinnata as a substitution of commercial fish feed (CFF) for Thai silver barb Barbonymus gonionotus. Post fingerlings of B. gonionotus were reared in five treatments, labeled T 1 to T 5 , by substituting 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% protein of CFF with A. pinnata protein (dry matter basis) respectively for 56 days. The specific growth rate, net production rate, protein efficiency ratio, proximate composition, and overall conditions of fish were not significantly varied between the fish reared completely with CFF and 25% substitution with A. pinnata. However, a significantly higher profit rate (431.49 USD ha −1 56 day −1 ) was calculated for fish reared in T 2 than other treatments. In contrast, there was a significant reduction of growth and other parameters of the fish that were observed in the case where more than 25% CFF was substituted with A. pinnata. The poorest performance was observed in fish fed completely with A. pinnata, at T 5 . Based on the results, 25% of CFF of Thai silver barb could be substituted with fresh A. pinnata without significantly lowering their growth and product quality and could contribute significant to a higher profit margin.

The dietary requirement of calcium (Ca) has been well established in terrestrial animals. However, investigations for dietary Ca requirement in fish are complicated and reports limited as fish can use waterborne Ca in addition to dietary Ca. Ca absorption in fishes from environmental water is species specific and depends on concentration of Ca in rearing environment and availability of dietary Ca. Ca and phosphorus are generally combined together in fish body therefore maintaining a dietary calcium: phosphorus ratio is important. Ca exists in a complex form in fish meal, which is not available to fishes; hence, although fish meal contains an appreciable amount of calcium, dietary Ca supplementation in fish meal‐based diets for some species is necessary. This review article summarizes and discusses pertinent information on absorption of Ca from water, essentiality of dietary Ca, bioavailability of Ca from different sources, optimum calcium:phosphorus ratio and dietary Ca requirement in fishes.

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This study was conducted to determine the essentiality of dietary calcium supplement to redlip mullet Liza haematocheila. Juvenile fish were fed four purified experimental diets containing 2.0 g kg–1 Ca from calcium lactate (diet 1), no supplemental Ca (diet 2), and 2.0 g and 25.0 g kg–1 Ca from tricalcium phosphate (TCP, diets 3 and 4), respectively. At the end of the 10‐week experiment, growth was significantly lower in fish fed diet 2 than fish fed all other diets. This suggests that redlip mullet do not obtain adequate Ca from sea water. Fish fed diets 3 and 4 showed growth performances similar to fish fed diet 1. However, dietary TCP negatively affected bone mineralization of Zn, Mn, K and Fe. The Ca, Zn and Fe levels in liver were low in fish fed TCP‐supplemented diets. From these findings, it may be concluded that a dietary Ca supplement is necessary for redlip mullet. Although this species can use dietary TCP as a Ca source for growth, an easily digestible Ca (monobasic or dibasic) supplement to a TCP‐rich diet is also essential to maintain normal mineral levels in tissues.