Small Indigenous Species (SIS) of Fishes

Importance of SIS:
Fish is considered as an easily digestible food item and rich source of animal protein. SIS species contains huge amount of vitamin-A and vitamin-D which are very good for human bones, teeth, skin, and eyes. SIS also supply good amount of calcium, phosphorus, iron, iodine etc. These minerals are essential for developing resistance against disease. Some SIS like Punti (Puntius sp.) contains double the amount of iron compared to many cultured carps like Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and Rohu/Rui (Labeo rohita) and SIS Mola (Amblypharyngodon mola) contains three (3) times more calcium and fifty (50) times vitamin-A than that of Silver carp and Rui (Villif and Jorgensen, 1993). Chemical composition of some SIS are shown in the following table-

Present status of SIS in different water bodies of Bangladesh:
According to Hoq (2006), in Chalan Beel a total of 121 species of SIS are found including 41 riverine species, 29 migratory species, and 51 flood plain species. In Padma river this number (SIS) is 119 consisting of 45 riverine, 25 migratory, and 44 flood plain species. In Tanguar Haor, 123 SIS are recorded of which 33 riverine species, 29 migratory species, and 61 flood plain species. Hoq (2006) also recorded 145 SIS from Baraindra Tract region and a total of 129 SIS from Chittagong region.

However, many SIS may still available in different water bodies like beels, rivers, khals, haors, baors etc. of Bangladesh but their existence in almost every water body is at stake. Due to indiscriminate exploitation of brood and young SIS by using destructive fishing gears and methods leads SIS to a high level of risk of extinction. Small meshed fishing nets are widely used in almost all the water bodies of the country though it was declared illegal. Also, harvesting of fish by dewatering the particular or whole area of a water body makes the available stock more susceptible to extinction.

Reference:

Ali, M.Y. 1997. Small Indigenous Fish Species culture in Bangladesh, Proceedings of National Workshop on Small Indigenous fish culture in Bangladesh, IFADEP-SP 2, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Bhuiyan, A.L. 1964. Fishes of Dacca, Asiat. Soc. Pakistan, Pub. 1, No. 13, Dacca, pp. 1-148.

CSIR-India. 1962. Fish and Fisheries, Vol. IV, p. 132.

Felts, R.A., F. Fajts and M. Akteruzzaman. 1996. Small Indigenous Fish Species Culture in Bangladesh (Technical brief), IFADEP Sub Project 2, Development of Inland Fisheries, p. 41.

Hoq, Enamul. 2006. Bangladesher Chhoto Mach, Published by Graphic Sign, 8 GKMC Shah Road, Chhoto Bazar, Mymensingh 2200, p. 20.

Hussain, M.M. 1999. Fishes and Fisheries of the River Atrai in Rajshahi with Reference to its Limnology, Ph.D. thesis, Department of Zoology, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh, pp. 5-200.

Rahman, A.K.A. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh, Zoological Society of Bangladesh, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, pp. 1-285.

Rahman, A.K.A. 2005. Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh, 2nd ed., Zoological Society of Bangladesh, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, pp. 1-263.

Villif, A. and L.B. Jorgensen. 1993. Analysis of naeringgsstoffet I, in An Environmental Monitoring System for GOLDA Project: CARE-Bangladesh Interim Report.