Bangladesh Launches First 'Live Gene Bank' to Protect Endangered Fish

To conserve aquatic biodiversity, the government has established the country's first-ever 'Live Gene Bank' to protect 64 critically endangered native fish species. 

The facility, located at the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) in Mymensingh, aims to safeguard the genetic resources of indigenous fish varieties, many of which are on the brink of extinction due to environmental degradation and habitat loss.

The institute has successfully recovered 40 endangered species, including 29 in the past decade alone, according to Dr. Anuradha Bhadra, Director General of BFRI.

She emphasized that this initiative aligns with the government's broader objective of achieving self-sufficiency in fish production while preserving local biodiversity. 

The gene bank is expected to play a vital role in ensuring the long-term availability of native fish species through advanced breeding technologies that are already being transferred to farmers.

The sharp decline in native fish populations has largely been attributed to the drying up of natural habitats, climate change, and other environmental disruptions, said Dr. Bhadra. 

Over the years, various species have either disappeared or become increasingly rare in natural water bodies. Through this gene bank, scientists can now preserve the germplasm, the genetic material, of endangered fish and breed them in controlled hatchery environments for eventual reintroduction into rivers, lakes, and wetlands.

Dr. Mohammad Ashraful Alam, Senior Scientific Officer at BFRI, said Bangladesh is home to 260 native freshwater fish species, of which 143 are small indigenous varieties. Among them, 64 have already been listed as critically endangered. 

He explained that the gene bank has collected and conserved germplasm of 143 species in total, with 98 species preserved in Mymensingh and the rest stored at a secondary facility in the Syedpur Freshwater Substation in Nilphamari.

The BFRI's approach includes artificial breeding programs that can rapidly increase the population of these species and restore them to their natural ecosystems. If any species becomes extinct in the wild, it can be revived through hatchery-based breeding and released back into the environment for natural regeneration, said Dr. Mohammad Mashiur Rahman, another senior BFRI scientist.

Professor Dr. Rafiqul Islam Sarder from the Department of Fisheries Biology and Genetics at Bangladesh Agricultural University hailed the initiative as a significant technological advancement. He noted that gene banks are essential tools in the fight against extinction, especially for countries facing biodiversity threats. 
Through commercial hatcheries, critically endangered fish can now be bred using preserved genetic material and reintroduced into the food chain, he added.

Fish plays a central role in the Bangladeshi diet, contributing to around 60% of the country's annual protein intake. It is a source of high-quality protein, essential fatty acids, and vital nutrients such as vitamins A and D, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, and iodine. With an easily digestible protein profile, fish remains a critical food item for millions in both rural and urban areas.

Bangladesh's fisheries sector has seen tremendous growth over the last few decades. In 1983-84, the country produced just 754,000 metric tons of fish, a figure that skyrocketed to over 4.62 million metric tons by 2020-21. 

The sector now contributes approximately 3.57% to the national GDP and supports the livelihoods of nearly 20 million people through direct and indirect employment. 

In fiscal year 2021-22, Bangladesh earned $533 million in foreign exchange from exporting fish and fish-related products to more than 50 countries, accounting for over 1% of the nation's total export earnings.

Despite these successes, there has been a marked decline in the contribution of wild freshwater fish to local consumption. Just two decades ago, rivers supplied nearly 80% of the nation's freshwater fish needs. Today, that number has fallen to around 30%, as farmers have shifted toward cultivating high-demand species for both domestic and export markets. Nevertheless, the rising cultivation of small indigenous species-driven by the BFRI's conservation efforts-is gradually reversing this trend.

Rashidul Hasan, Principal Scientific Officer at the Syedpur Fresh Water Substation, observed that farmers are increasingly interested in cultivating small native fish due to their low input costs and high market value. Species like Bangladeshi Butterfish, climbing fish (Koi), and Gulsha have seen a revival in recent years and are now being produced on a large scale. In 2009, Bangladesh produced around 67,000 tons of small fish; by 2021, production had soared to 261,000 tons, a trend that continues to grow annually.

To sustain and expand these gains, the BFRI has initiated a range of short-, medium-, and long-term projects aimed at domesticating the remaining endangered species. These programs not only aim to meet the country's nutritional needs but also to preserve the nation's cultural and ecological heritage, said David Rintu Das, Principal Scientific Officer of the BFRI's Fresh Water Substation in Bogura.