Fish-rice eating Bangali A weakening maxim
By Nazimuddin Patwary
Yard filled with rice, ponds filled with fish and shed full of cows This well-known proverb indicates the glorious wealthy and joyful life of Bengal that is missing today. Another well-known proverb we hear frequently is Rice and fish make a Bangali. In the context of current food habits, influenced by the declining number of native fishes and higher price of fish in the market, this proverb is losing its essence little by little. Still, we are one of the leading rice producing countries and rice remains our staple. But the item that is most delicious to the Bangali palate, along with rice, has now become too expensive for the majority.
Mizanur Rahman, a small grocer from Narayanganj, says he can hardly afford to buy fish for his family of six everyday. Thats why he only gets cheap fish from the market once or twice a week, while the family depends on vegetables, eggs or chicken most of the time. Besides, he has no pond to cultivate fish to meet their daily demands. Like Mizanurs family, scores of families now do not have the purchasing power to buy fish everyday.
Fish production in Bangladesh has been turning commercial, rather than naturally produced like in the past. Still, with an ever-increasing population, commercial fish culture cannot meet the growing demands well and truly. Thus, it creates a vacuum in the supply and demand curve, which ultimately leads to a sharp increase in price.
Once there was a time when different species of indigenous fish were abundant in our rivers, canals, ponds, lakes, marshes and anywhere with stagnant water, like paddy fields, all year round. When nets were thrown into the water, it would be very difficult to pull it back up as it would be full with taki, koi, baila, puti, tengra, magur, shing, beda and other native fish varieties. Villagers would catch the naturally available fish for their daily meals. But those days are fading quickly due to various reasons. Noticeably, local fish are meagre in the market at present. Even if they are available, very high prices are tagged for them, which is beyond the buying capacity of common consumers. Local wholesale markets and bazaars are now abundant with hybrid varieties of fish, which are less tasty and nutritious than the indigenous ones.
According to experts, native fish species of the country are facing extinction mostly due to habitat loss. Rampant use of agro- chemicals, scarcity of water, overfishing, use of current nets, water pollution, impacts of climate change and greedy behaviour of people are some other reasons. Agro-chemicals are ruining the breeding places of our fishes, jeopardising their existence. Farmers recklessly use fertilisers and pesticides to boost their crop production and prevent pest attacks, but after the rains, the agricultural runoffs containing the chemicals flow into rivers and ponds, damaging the natural habitats of fishes.
During the dry season, local people capture all varieties of fish from waterbodies by draining them. They indiscriminately catch fishlings, as well as mother fishes, potentially destroying future supplies. Indigenous varieties used to be found aplenty during monsoons in the past, but now that, too, is disappearing.
Around 100, out of 143, local fish species are in impending danger of extinction, says a study led by Mostafa Ali Reza, professor of fisheries biology and genetics at Bangladesh Agriculture University. Another study has found that 25 species of local fish have become extinct over the past decade. If the trend continues, about 70 percent of our local fish species may suffer the same fate in the next few years.
To save indigenous fish species from their jeopardized situation, a sound policy and strategy for judicious utilisation of our fishery resources should be taken immediately, the experts opined. Furthermore, futuristic outlook or awareness must be created among the public to not catch local fishes during the breeding season to replenish supplies.
The authorities should also dredge the small rivers, canals and marshes that turn into fields during the dry season due to massive silt deposition, and create sanctuary or nursery and pen culture in those water bodies for indigenous fishes. Massive number of local fish fries should be released during the monsoon season in all public waterbodies across the country. Meanwhile, adoption of sustainable and chemical-free agriculture production system is a must to avoid further threats. Diversification of agro-production, like cultivating fish in paddy fields, has emerged as an effective way to raise fish and rice production simultaneously.
Finally, the above circumstances show that people without resources to cultivate their own fish, or lack of fish-rich natural abodes in their locality, are suffering the most as they cannot afford to purchase costly fish. Contrary to the past, people in most parts of the country are now vastly dependent on commercially cultured fish, instead of indigenous varieties. Hence, we, the fish-rice eating Bangalis, are gradually losing our traditional identity. And Bangladesh is losing one of its main object of pride: Fish.
