Reza Mahmud :
Various species of endangered fishes are returning to the water bodies gradually since the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute has been working widely in this regard.
Officials of BFRI expressed hope that the missing fishes would comeback to the water and the days of ‘Machhe Bhate Bangali’ would be found soon.
The nutrition and good health among all the people would be restored with the returned missing fishes, they said with optimism.
The officials continued that massive productions would be possible after full-fledged cultivations of the endangered species, which will reduce the price of the fishes as well for affording even poor income group of people.
BFRI have developed and handed over technologies to fishermen for breeding and farming the endangered species of fishes to return those in water bodies for farming.
According to the list of International Union for Conservation of Nature as many as 64 species of sweet water fish out of 260 species, which were available even in the eighties.
Sources said, there are 143 species of small fishes and most of the endangered varieties were from the smalls.
Officials of BFRI said, technologies, they have innovated, might bring back the lost fishes to the water of the country soon.
When contacted, Dr. Yahia Mahmud, Director General of BFRI told The New Nation on Wednesday, “We are working with utmost efforts to get back all endangered species of indigenous fishes in Bangladesh. We have innovated
technologies of breeding and farming of 31 species of those fishes so far.”
The DG said, “As a result, the fishermen would be able to produce most of those good quality nutrition enriched and testy fishes. The poor people also can afford to buy fishes and give their children the delicious and nutrition enriched fishes.”
He said, the BFRI is working closely to dissemination of their invented technologies so that the fish farmers can be beneficiary of farming those missing items of fishes.
BFRI data showed that the techonologies of breeding and cultivating of Pabda, Gulsha, Tengra, Guji Ayr, Chital, Foli, Mahashol, Bairali, Balachata, Gutum, Kuchia, Bhagana, Khalisha, Gojar, Rani, Batasi, Piyali and others included the 31 species of extinct fishes have been discovered and handed over to fish farmers.
These fish are enriched with essential minerals, vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron and iodine. These ingredients strengthen the human body’s immune system. Besides, it helps in preventing diseases like anemia, goiter and blindness.
Experts said, the availability of small fish in natural water bodies is declining due to population growth, contraction of water bodies, over-harvesting and destruction of fish breeding grounds.
Statistics showed that about 67,000 metric tonnes of cultivating fishes were produced in 2008 and 2009 fiscal year.
Meanwhile, the quantities reached four times more within 10 to 12 years.
As per the data of the Department of Fisheries, about 2.50 lakh metric tonnes of farming fishes were produced in the 2018-2019 fiscal year.
Dr. Yahia said, the BFRI has established a live gene bank for storing genes of all species of fishes of the country.
He said also that they have made a plan to build a center in Gopalgonj for researching with beel fishes and another in Kishoregonj for haor species.
