Ilish
The ilish (Tenualosa ilisha) (Bengali: ইলিশ, romanized: iliś), also known as the ilishi, hilsa, 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 fish in the Indian subcontinent, and is the national fish of Bangladesh and the state fish of West Bengal.
| Ilish, Hilsha Fish. | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Clupeiformes |
| Family: | Dorosomatidae |
| Genus: | Tenualosa |
| Species: | T. ilisha |
| Binomial name | |
| Tenualosa ilisha F. Hamilton, 1822 | |
| Synonyms | |
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The world famous Hilsha fish comes from Padma River (the main distributary of the Ganges), Bangladesh. As of 2021, 86% 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 of Bangladesh has declared the recognition of ilish as the product of Bangladesh. As of 2021, 86% of the world's total ilish supply originates in Bangladesh which applied for Geographical indication (GI) in 2004. 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.