Economic Importance of Fish
(i) Fish as food:
The meat of the fish is high in protein, low in fat, and high in minerals and vitamins A and D. It also contains a lot of iodine. Above all, man can readily absorb it.
(ii) Fish for controlling diseases:
Diseases like malaria, yellow fever and other dreadful diseases that are spread through mosquitoes can be controlled.
The important larvivorous fish are Gambusia, Panchax, Haplochitus, Trichogaster, etc.
(iii) Scientific value:
Some fish like the lung fish are of zoological importance because of their discontinuous distribution and anatomical features.
(iv) Aesthetic value:
A large number of fish are cultured in aquarium for their beauty and graceful movements. The important aquarium fish are Macropodus, Trichogaster, Carassinus (gold fish) and Pterophyllum (angel fish).
(v) Fishery Bye-products:
(a) Fish oil: It’s made from the livers of sharks, sawfish, skates, and rays and has therapeutic properties. Cod liver oil and shark liver oil are the most common.
(b) Fish Manure: After the oil is extracted, the fish waste is utilised as fertiliser.
(c) Fish Glue: It is a sticky compound, derived from the skin of the cod and is used as gum
(d) Isinglass: It’s a gelatinous material made from the air bladders of perches, Indian salmon, and catfish, and it’s used to make special cement and clarify wine and beer.
(e) Shagreen: Shark and ray skin, with its pointed and sharp placoid scales, is used to polish wood and other materials. It’s also used to cover jewellery boxes and swords, among other things.
(f) Leather: Shark and ray skin is used to make an extremely durable form of leather.
(g) Artificial pearls: Artificial pearls are made from the silvery boney scales of cypnmids (a species of fish), which are very popular in France.
(vi) Employment: The expansion of the fishing business creates additional job opportunities.
(vii) Source of Income: Farmers in particular and the country as a whole have benefited greatly from the fishing business. We can now talk about the “Blue Revolution” (fish production) in the same way that we can talk about the “Green Revolution” (for producing enough food for all).
Read More:
Utilisation of Catches,Research,Future needs,Economic role,Development Prospects of Fishery
