TAG: GS- 3: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
CONTEXT:
On the festival of Durga Puja, the Hooked on ‘ilish-ious’ hilsa fish that inspires Bengal’s art, culture, and poetry. For many Bengali families, Durga Puja is incomplete without their beloved ilish (hilsa).
EXPLANATION:
About the Hilsa (ilish) Fish:
- It is a species of fish related to the herring, in the family Clupeidae.
- It is also called Ilish and holds an exceptional position in culinary customs and social practices of Bengal.
- Distribution: It is found in rivers and estuaries in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Myanmar (also known as Burma) and the Persian Gulf area.
- It has a history of migrating to Allahabad in the Ganga River system from Bangladesh.
- Though it’s a saltwater fish, it migrates to sweet waters of the Ganges from the Bay of Bengal.
- Hilsa is into breeding migration in three major river systems of the Indo-Gangetic and Brahmaputra River network viz., Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna.
- Bangladesh produces around 70% of the world’s ilish, making it a subject of public pride. Ilish is also the national fish of Bangladesh.
- The kinds of ilish from rivers like Ganga, Hooghly and Mahanadi are no match when it comes to celebrating important events.
- Conservation status
- IUCN: Least Concern
Source:
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