Of Bangladesh's 260 freshwater fish species, 143 are small fish. Population growth, shrinking water bodies, overfishing and other causes destroyed breeding and feeding grounds, leaving 64 species near extinction. Fisheries scientists have been working to bring them back to the table, and scientists at the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) have now successfully bred 40 of these species.

Fry of 12 of the near-extinct species are being produced on a large scale in hatcheries across the country. The fish have come under cultivation as a result, and their market prices have fallen.

According to the institute, the 40 species bred successfully include pabda, gulsha, tengra, koi, magur, shing, guji air, deshi sarpunti, jatpunti, bata, balachata, kuchia, kursha, khalisha, bheda, gutum, dhela, gajar, foli, chital, gonia, mohashol, boirali, bhagna, angus, batasi, puiya, kakila, piali and rani. Of these, 12 species including shing, magur, koi, tengra, pabda, gulsha and boirali are now widely produced in hatcheries.

The most recent success came in 2022, when some fry of shal baim were produced through artificial breeding. Research is still in full swing, and scientists are trying to produce the fry in large numbers and spread them to hatcheries nationwide. The snake-like, long, tubular and scaleless shal baim is getting special attention because it is also very popular.

Scientists say native small fish are rich in vitamins and essential minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron and iodine. These strengthen the body's immunity and help prevent anaemia, goitre, blindness and other conditions.

To bring the near-extinct fish back, 88 species have been collected from rivers, canals, beels, haors, baors and ponds across the country and kept in a "live gene bank" at BFRI. Work is under way to produce fry in bulk of those species that have been bred artificially, which is expected to create jobs and revolutionise fish production.

At the traditional Mechhua Bazar in Mymensingh town, native small fish once at risk of extinction were on sale alongside all kinds of large fish. With supply up, prices have fallen, and buyers were purchasing them comfortably.

Trader Idris Ali told Jago News: "Various fisheries now farm gulsha, pabda, shing, magur, koi, tengra, boirali and other native small fish. A large quantity reaches the market every day. With supply rising over a few years, prices are lower than before."

Buyer Zahid Hossain told Jago News: "Pabda is selling at Tk 380 to 400 a kg. I bought one kg. Only a few years ago supply was low and you hardly found it in the market. Now, with more farming, pabda and other native small fish are back on our tables."

BFRI senior scientific officer Dr Md Mashiur Rahman said research on conserving and developing near-extinct fish used to be carried out only at the institute's Freshwater Research Station in Mymensingh. It is now also done at the Santahar sub-station in Bogura, Saidpur in Nilphamari district and Jashore. Research continues tirelessly to gradually bring all near-extinct fish back to the table.

BFRI director general Dr Anuradha Bhadra told Jago News that artificial breeding technology for shal baim is the latest development, which will make it possible to bring the fish under cultivation. Efforts are under way to produce fry in large numbers.

She said all native fish will be preserved in the live gene bank in phases, and all native fish at risk of extinction will be restored.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.