Bangladesh ranks second in freshwater fish production

Bangladesh has risen to second place globally in freshwater fish production, surpassing China and trailing India, according to the FAO's 2022 "State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture" report. Previously, Bangladesh ranked fifth. The country produced 48 lakh tonnes of fish in 2023, including 13 lakh tonnes from open waterbodies, half of which were hilsa. Conservation efforts and advanced breeding techniques have boosted production. Bangladesh is 14th in marine fish and ninth in crab farming, with per capita fish consumption rising from 7.5kg in 1990 to 30kg now.