ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF FISHES

Fishes have always been an important species to man. Earliest form of fish culture appears to be of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio), the native of China. Then record shows of the cultivation of Tilapia mossamblaca from Vietnam. Fishes enjoy special consideration in Human civilization for its food, cooking, and nutritional value. Several species are sought as luxury food in expensive restaurants. Eating fish once a week is recommended by doctors. It should be heated to above 70°C.

Economic importance

1. Protein Value: Fish Flesh contains 15-30% of protein; a higher percentage than the flesh of usual domestic animals reared for meat. Fisheries produce about 35% of the world’s animal protein. Fish protein is superior to egg, milk and beef protein.

2. Nutritional Value: Fish meal contains all the ten essential amino acids and is also an important source of Ca, P, K, Fe, Cu and Vit. A and D. This way feeding on a fish diet can reduce malnutrition when other feeds are not found or desired.

3. Trade and Industry: Fishing industry is a big industry that was prevalent even in the time of Jesus Christ. It is the 2nd biggest industry of Korea. Some countries like Portugal, Canada, Norway, Holland export more fishes than they import while countries like USA, Germany and France import more fishes than they export. Fishes are a part of the national dishes of Angola, Portugal, Japan, Norway and Sweden. China, Morocco, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Philippines account for 73% of the total fish production in the world (FAO, 1997). Total global production of Fish was 7.5 m.t. in 1986 and it increased to 8,6 m.t. in 1996. (Recent data not known)

4. Alternative feed value: Fish can be fed as the alternative feed instead of feeding cereal grains and legumes as fish can fulfill the deficiencies that are seen with them.

5. As feed for Livestock: Fish can be made to fish meal and fed to livestock to balance the deficiencies they face in relation to micro / macronutrients, proteins, fats and Vitamins.

6. Industrially used Fish Products:

a)       Fish oil: This compound has six double bonds which makes it attain a degree of insaturation substantially higher than other cooking oils. Due to this, it is applied in a large scale to make different products in Industries. Shark oil is rich in unsaponificable substances.

b)       Fish flour: It is a superior quality of fish meal. It is considered as an ideal protein source to supplement to diets of both adults and infant animals.

c)        Fish silage: This is a liquid to semi-solid type of highly nutritive animal feed produced by acid process.  This is done in Europe.

d)       Fish manure and Guano: They are inferior quality of fish byproducts. Fish manure is the byproduct of fish glue industry and fish oil industry. Fish Guano is byproduct of fish body oil extraction industries. They can be used as a manure as they have N2 (5-7%), P (4-6%) and Lime (4-6%).  Guano N2 (8-10%) has been found to be several times more effective than any animal manure.

e) Fish Glue: This is obtained from trimmings, bones and skin of fish. It is considered as a superior adhesive.

f)         Isinglass: It acts as a gelatin substitute in confectionary industry. It swells in cold water, but does not dissolve in it. It is also used in an adhesive form as court plaster or other cements. But its chief use is in clarification of beer, vinegar etc.

7. Use of Fish in Medicine: Fish are used to extract Insulin. When Insulin of lower concentration is required for treatment, Fish Insulin can be used. Besides fish are generally low in sugar content and they can be relished by Diabeteic patients. This way it can be an important component of diet with an emphasis on healthy eating.

8. Game or recreational Value: Fishing is an important outdoor activity for a lot of people. Tor tor, Catla catla, Bagarius bagarius are some of the species used for this purpose.

9. Ornamental Value: Fish aquariums and displays kept in the house and workplace offers an ornamental value.

10. Biological control: Fish species such as the Gambusia are used in the control of mosquito population.

11. Fish Leather: Skin of fishes like the Cod, Salmon, Sharks etc are used to make leather and leather products which have durable, flexible and ornamental value.

12. Fishes in Rural Development: Small-scale fish farming can be done in the rural areas to improve life standard of rural fisherman. This can also help in income generation.

13. Impact on Migration: Jobs generated through fishing like production, processing, transport and marketing can be expected to control, to some extent, the drift of rural people to urban areas.

14. For social benefit: Fish farming in a community aims at the priorities of the community. It helps to attain the knowledge of human, economic and socio-infrastructural development.

15. Employment opportunities: Crop-farming farmers nowadays produce fish side by side to their crops. This creates increased farm activity with minimal cost and more employment per unit of capital invested. More over fish farming projects have advantage of being more widely distributed geographically, and locally owned, enabling improved income distribution among the population.