• Ghol fish was declared the state fish of Gujarat by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel during a two-day Global Fisheries Conference India 2023 in Ahmedabad.

• The Gujarat government chose the ghol because of its economic value and its uniqueness.
• The fish is usually found in the Indo-Pacific region that stretches from the Persian Gulf to the Pacific Ocean. The declaration will enable Gujarat to be a part of its conservation efforts.
• Every state can declare a state fish. While deciding one for Gujarat, the first thing that came to our mind was the uniqueness of the fish species. This fish is not easily available.
• Catches that are reported are far and few between. The second factor was the economic value of the fish, and third, we needed to conserve it and prevent it from over-exploitation.
• Ribbon fish, pomfret, and Bombay Duck were the other species that were considered for designation as state fish

Commercial Importance of Fish

• Being an expensive fish, the local consumption of this variety is not widely heard of.
• But the fish has a huge market in China and other countries.
• The fish is actually a lottery for fishermen who manage to net it.
• The fish is not only tasty, it is considered a delicacy in many countries. In others, it is used for medicinal purposes.
• While the meat of the fish is exported as frozen fillet or whole fish to European and Middle-Eastern countries, its air bladder — which is cut open from the stomach and dried — is mainly exported to China, Hong Kong and other Asian countries where it is in high demand for its medicinal values.
• A kilogram of Ghol fetches between Rs5,000 to Rs15,000 in Gujarat.
• However, it is the dried air bladder of the fish that is the costliest, and can fetch amounts as high as Rs25,000 a kilogram in the export market.
• A single fish of this species can weigh as much as 25 kg.

 Export

• During the year 2021-22, the total fish production of Gujarat was estimated at 8.74 lakh tonne, worth Rs 11,221 crore. Of this, 2.3 lakh tonne of fish and fish products worth Rs 5,233 crore were exported.