Ilish

The ilish (Tenualosa ilisha) (Bengali: ইলিশ, romanized: iliś), also known as the ilishi, hilsa, pulasa, hilsa herring or hilsa shad, is a species of fish related to the herring, in the family Clupeidae. It is a very popular and sought-after food in the Bengal region and area, and is the national fish of Bangladesh and state fish of the Indian state of West Bengal.

As of 2023, 97% of the world's total ilish supply originates in Bangladesh. The fish contributes about 12% of the total fish production and about 1.15% of GDP in Bangladesh. On 6 August 2017, Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks under the Ministry of Industries declared ilish as a Geographical Indication of Bangladesh. About 450,000 people are directly involved in the catching of the fish as a large part of their livelihood; around four to five million people are indirectly involved with the trade.

Common names

The ilish fish has many different names depending on where you are. It is also called jatka, illi, ilish de foundever, ellis, palla fish, hilsha, and ilih, among others. In Assamese, it is called ইলীহ/ইলীহি (ilih/ilihi), and in Bengali, it is ইলিশ (iliś). Other names include Modar or Palva in Gujarati, ଇଲିଶି (iliśi) in Odia, پلو مڇي (pallo machhi) in Sindhī, பள்ளு மீன் (palla Meen) in Tamil, and పులస (pulasa) in Telugu.

In Iraq, it is known as sboor (صبور), and in Malaysia and Indonesia, it is called terubok. In Myanmar, the fish is named (ငါးသလောက်) in Burmese, which comes from the Mon language.

Description

The ilish fish has females that grow larger than males. Males usually do not get bigger than 46 cm, while females can reach up to 55 cm. Both males and females become mature by the end of their first year or the start of their second year. Males mature at sizes of 26 to 29 cm and females at 31 to 33 cm.

This fish does not have dorsal spines but has 18 to 21 dorsal soft rays and anal soft rays. Its belly has 30 to 33 scutes. It also has a distinct notch in the upper jaw. The gills have many fine rakers, about 100 to 250 on the lower part. The fins are hyaline. When alive, the fish has a silver color with hints of gold and purple, and it shows a dark spot behind the gill opening followed by small spots along its side in juveniles.

Habitat and breeding

The ilish fish lives in both saltwater and freshwater. It can be found in rivers and coastal waters in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Myanmar, and the Persian Gulf area. These fish travel from the sea up rivers to lay their eggs during the southwest monsoons, which happen from June to September and sometimes from January to April.

After laying eggs, the fish return to the sea. Some stay in rivers. People have tried to raise ilish fish in farms since the 1900s, but they haven’t been able to fully grow them in captivity yet.

Feeding habit

The ilish fish eats tiny plants and animals in the water, called plankton. Their food includes Bacillariophyceae (diatoms), Chlorophyceae (green algae), and small creatures like crustaceans. Adult fish mainly eat green algae and diatoms, while younger fish eat more small creatures.

Production

The ilish fish can be found in 11 countries: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Bangladesh is the leading producer of this fish, with Myanmar and India following.

About 97% of the world's ilish comes from Bangladesh. The amount of ilish produced in Bangladesh grew by 92% between 2008 and 2023.

Current status in Bangladesh

The hilsa fish is not considered a threatened species in Bangladesh. To protect the fish, the government banned catching young hilsa in 2002. This helped the fish population grow.

Bangladesh now leads the world in hilsa production, with around 86% of the world's catch coming from the country. Hilsa supports many jobs and helps the economy grow.

Food value

The ilish fish is a favorite food in South Asia and the Middle East, especially among Bengalis, Odias, and Telugus living in Coastal Andhra. A popular dish made from ilish is Bengali fish curry, called Shorshe Ilish, which uses mustard oil or seeds.

Ilish from Bangladesh is known for its great size and delicate flavor. In North America, where ilish isn’t always available, other shad fish are sometimes used instead, especially along the East coast.

Ilish is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids and has been shown to help lower cholesterol in studies. In Bengal and Odisha, ilish can be cooked in many ways, such as smoking, frying, steaming, or baking in plantain leaves with mustard seed paste, aubergine, and other seasonings. The fish’s roe is also enjoyed as a tasty side dish. Because ilish is very oily, it needs little extra oil when cooking.

Ilish in culture

Ilish is the national fish of Bangladesh. In Andhra Pradesh, there is a saying that it is worth eating ilish even if you have to sell a special piece of jewelry. In Bengali Hindu families, pairs of ilish are often bought for special celebrations like puja days, such as for Saraswati Puja or Lakshmi Puja. Some people even offer the fish to the goddess Lakshmi.

In Sindhi cuisine, ilish is prepared in many ways, like deep frying with spices, cooking with onions and potatoes, or barbecuing. It is also enjoyed with its roe, a special part of the fish that is fried and served with it. The rivalry between East Bengal Club and Mohun Bagan in Kolkata is celebrated with food—East Bengal supporters cook ilish when they win, while Mohun Bagan supporters prepare a prawn dish. These foods are often shown during celebrations for the teams.

Overfishing

Because ilish is very popular to eat, people catch too many of them. This means that bigger ilish, weighing about 2 to 3 kilograms, are now hard to find in India. Even smaller ilish are caught using very fine fishing nets, especially since more ilish are caught in Bangladesh. Because of this, the price of ilish has gone up.

In the past, people in some areas did not catch ilish during certain festivals because it was their breeding time. But now, with more money to spend, many people ignore these old traditions. Better fishing tools and pollution in rivers have made the problem worse. Some places have tried to stop catching young ilish to help the fish population grow again, but this has caused problems for fishermen who cannot work for several months each year. Because of these changes, ilish has sometimes been used in important talks between countries, like when sending vaccines during health challenges.

Bangladesh has often stopped selling ilish to other countries because there isn’t enough, but sometimes allowed small amounts to be sent to India for festivals.