Knowledge nugget of the day: Hilsa (ilish)

Key Takeaways :

1. Hilsa is rich in nutrition and popular in West Bengal, where it is designated as the state fish. Mostly found in the Hooghly-Bhagirathi river system and in the Bay of Bengal, Hilsa is an anadromous fish — that is, it migrates from the ocean to rivers for spawning. 

2. Shoals of males and females of the species migrate twice a year for breeding in rivers — mid-February to April and September-October.

3. There are two varieties of hilsa in the Bay of Bengal – Tenualosa ilisha and Tenualosa toli ilish.

4. Bangladesh is the world’s largest hilsa producer but it restricts the export of the fish due to high local demand. However, during the Durga Puja festival, it usually relaxes the ban on the export of the fish, which is a much sought-after delicacy of Bengalis. 

5. Hilsa fish is a sentiment for Bengalis. For Bangladeshis, Hilsa is the national fish. Although the fish get caught in the fishermen’s net round the year, monsoon is the peak season when the number multiplies. Bengalis from both West Bengal in India and Bangladesh wait for this season.

6. Bangladesh has stringent laws for selling small Hilsa fish. This makes it difficult to spot small-size fish in the markets.

7. In recent years, Hilsa imports from Bangladesh have seen a drop, while shipments from Myanmar have increased. Last year, India imported 588.97 tonnes of Hilsa from Myanmar and 573.66 tonnes from Bangladesh. In 2022-23, 149.23 tonnes were imported from Myanmar and 1,309.46 tonnes from Bangladesh.

BEYOND THE NUGGET : Cooperation between India and Bangladesh

JUST FYI: The interim Bangladesh government was sworn in on August 8 with Mohammad Yunus as its Chief Advisor. The 17-member government was formed after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country, as weeks-long public protests escalated and became more violent. While students initially demanded the removal of a contentious quota in public jobs, the movement later began opposing the Hasina government as a whole.

India and Bangladesh have deep-rooted bonds of history, language, culture, and many other commonalities. The exceptional nature of their bilateral ties is reflected in a comprehensive partnership based on sovereignty, equality, trust, and understanding. The cooperation between both the nations can be seen in various areas.

1. Economic Cooperation: Bangladesh is India’s biggest trade partner in South Asia and India is the second biggest trade partner of Bangladesh in Asia. In the fiscal year 2023-24, Bangladesh exported goods worth USD 1.97 billion to India, and the total bilateral trade for that year amounted to USD 14.01 billion.

2. Cultural Cooperation: It plays a crucial role in building people-to-people contacts between both nations. The cultural programs featuring renowned artists from India and Bangladesh contribute to the promotion of people-to-people contacts.

3. Security and Border Management: The two countries’ agencies actively cooperate on police matters, anti-corruption activities, and combatting issues such as illicit drug trafficking, fake currency, and human trafficking.

4. Water Sharing: Bangladesh’s new interim government has expressed interest in restarting talks with India over sharing the waters of the Teesta River to “find an amicable solution”. Bangladesh might “engage internationally” through international legal documents and principles if an agreement cannot be reached, adviser to Bangladesh’s water resources department Syeda Rizwana Hasan told news agency PTI on Sunday.

(Sources: Bangladesh reverses hilsa export ban, UPSC Issue at a Glance | Bangladesh Crisis and India)

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