Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute is currently on a roll and writing one success story after another in its quest for artificial insemination of endangered indigenous species of fish and the latest one has come in regards to Kakila. The institute, which has won the Ekushey Padak in native fish conservation research, hopes that these achievements will have a huge impact in the conservation of endangered indigenous fish as well as contribute to higher production of native fish in the country. While talking to UNB, the researchers of BFRI said that at one time indigenous species of fish could be found in abundance in inland waters, but many of these have either disappeared or on verge of being extinct due to damage to habitats and breeding grounds triggered by climate change, natural disasters and other man-made causes. Read: How Jashore's fisheries output grew in the midst of a pandemic But scientists working in the Jashore centre of BFRI have recently made huge progress in inventing artificial breeding techniques for such species of fish. They have achieved this after three years of intensive research. The chief scientific officer of BFRI Jessore substation Dr Md Rabiul Awal Hossain, senior scientific officer Shariful Islam and scientific officer Shishir Kumar Dey conducted the study. Consider Kakila, once found in plenty in inland fresh water bodies including rivers, ponds and haors’ (a wetland ecosystem in the north eastern part of Bangladesh). Read Hilsa Ilisha: The National Fish and Silver Pride of Bangladesh The onion meals made out of Kakila are like nectar to the foodies. It is not only a tongue pleaser, but this fish is also rich in beneficial nutrients for the human body. Researchers told UNB that per 100 grams of edible kakila fish contains 16.1 per cent protein, 2.23 per cent lipid, 2.14 per cent phosphorus and 0.94 per cent calcium which is much higher than other small fish. According to the scientists, Kakila, (Xenentodon cancila, Scientific name) is recognised as Freshwater garfish  in English. It belongs to the Belonidae family of fish. Read: Khulna shrimp farmers fighting to regain business amid pandemic Apart from Bangladesh, the fish is found in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand. However, there are some differences in colour and size.

Hilsa fishing resumed here early Friday as two-month ban on catching and selling of the national fish ended.   Some 51,190 listed fishermen of the district went to the Meghan River early Friday for catching hilsa.   Dr Anisur Rahman, a researcher of Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute, Chandpur, said this year the production of Hilsa will be increased due to the timely initiative of the authorities concerned to protect jatka.   Last year  5.33 lakh metric tonnes were produced and this years the authorities concerned has set a target to produce 5.50 lakh metric tons of hilsa, he said.   The two-month government ban on catching, selling and transporting of Hilsa began on March 1.   A 90-kilometre stretch of the Padma and Meghna rivers here turned into a sanctuary for Hilsa after the ban came into effect.   The ban was strictly maintained in six sanctuaries, said Md Asadul Baki, district fisheries officer.   The sanctuaries are- 100 km in the Meghna River from Chandpur’s Shatnol to Laxmipur’s Char Alaxandar, 90km in Shahbazpur Channel in Bhola, 100 km in Tentulia River in Bhola, 40 km in Andharmanik River in Patuakhali, 20 km at lower Padma (Padma confluence) in Shariatpur, and 83 km in the Meghna River (from Hizla to Mehendiganj) in Barisal.   Hilsa has the highest contribution in the country's fish production as the single fish species. More than 12.09 percent of the country's fish production comes from Hilsa.