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The study was carried out to appraise the effect of multi-ownership on management system and present situation of pond aquaculture in Bhola district, Bangladesh. Data were collected by personal questionnaire interview from randomly selected 200 farmers at four Upazilas of Bhola district. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) tools were applied for verification of the collected data. A total number of 32,877 ponds with an area of 8,061 acre were found in the study area. Both multi-ownership (72.5%) and single ownership (27.5%) were observed in management approach of the ponds. 57.3%, 26.52% and 16.18% of the ponds were cultured, cultural and derelict respectively in the study area. Among the cultured ponds, most of the ponds (90%) were used for poly culture, 8% for mono culture and only 2% ponds were for fish seed nursing purposes. Extensive (60%), improved traditional (25%) and semiintensive (15%) management practices were found in the study area. The study also revealed that farmers use both organic and inorganic fertilizers with an average dose of 850 Kg/acre and 44 Kg/acre respectively for single owner ponds and 560 Kg/acre and 24 kg/acre for multi-owner ponds. For fish production farmers found to be applied supplementary feed parallel with fertilizers in their ponds which facilitate annual average fish production as 1,810 kg/ acre. The average total cost of fish production was determined as BDT 49,221/acre/year and BDT 38,850/acre/year for single owner and multi-owner ponds respectively. In the study area highest amount of production cost was spent for feeding purpose 23.07% and 22% in single owner and multi owner ponds respectively. The study also revealed that the average profit of fish production was identified as BDT 54,050/acre/year in multi-owner ponds and BDT 80,229/acre/year in single owner ponds. So multi ownership of ponds has negative effect on the production of pond aquaculture in Bhola District.
