Amidst dwindling stock of natural fish species, particularly of “ruhi”, due to indiscriminate cross-breeding of different species for mere commercial benefits by private hatcheries, scientists have devised a way to protect the original breed alongside enhancing its production.
State-run Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) scientists have developed a new ruhi variety called ‘Subarna Ruhi’, crossbreeding original ruhis of different rivers, which they said would enhance the ruhi production, protecting the original breed of the popular sweet water fish.
“The original breed of the ruhi is now on the verge of extinction as hatchery owners are crossbreeding ruhis with other fishes causing its ‘genetic deterioration’ and ‘inbreeding depression’,” BFRI director general Dr Yahia Mahmud told BSS.
He said unlike the private hatcheries' practices of arbitrary procreation, BFRI developed the high-yielding Subarna Ruhi, through cross-matching high-quality ruhis of different rivers like the Halda, Jamuna and Brahmaputra, “which tastes good as well”.
Mahmud said the Subarna Ruhi was the outcome of BFRI’s 12 years of extensive research and the variety they released for public consumption is the fourth generation of the fish while its productivity is 20.12 per cent higher than the existing varieties.
He said the previous three generations were produced during the research process but the fourth one was finally selected for production considering its higher-yielding capacity, size and weight.
“We expect Subarna Ruhi to increase the country’s overall carp fish production by one lakh tonnes, maintaining its genetic purity”, the BFRI chief said.
BFRI officially released the Subarna Ruhi fries to government and private hatcheries for reproduction in 2021 coinciding with the golden jubilee celebrations of Bangladesh’s independence while the hatcheries started marketing the fish in some major kitchen markets in the capital and elsewhere.
The fish is of red complexion and heavier or bigger than the ordinary ruhi sizes with officials concerned saying a Subarna Ruhi could be of as high as 3 kilograms.
According to official statistics Bangladesh currently produces 46.21 lakh tonnes fish, of which the stake of ruhi is 11.32 per cent securing the top position as a single species.
Nearly half of the total fish production in the country is cultivated fisheries with ruhi stake being 14.10 percent.
The WorldFish statistics show Bangladesh approximately produces 319,000 tonnes of ruhi fish annually while its wholesale market value is over US$950 million. (US$1=Tk 110.31).
The BFRI scientists and independent experts said the private hatchery practices across the country were resulting in lower growth and productivity of ruhi, a major fish of carp family.
BFRI scientist M Amdadul Huq said they were distributing Subarna Ruhi fries to government and private hatcheries but from 2024 the hatcheries were expected to produce the fries themselves.
BFRI scientists calculated that the fish farmers could earn an additional amount of Taka 3,000 crore annually with the introduction of the Subarna Ruhi.
“The fast-growing Subarna Ruhi will bring smiles to the faces of farmers and substantially contribute to the fish production in the country,” Huq said.
