Hilsa, Bangladesh's national fish, is not just food but a unique symbol of our culture, heritage and economy, and makes up an important part of the country's total fish production. According to the Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh supplies about 80-85 percent of the world's total hilsa production. Yet the fear of falling production and high market prices have recently raised fresh concern.

Hilsa production in the 2024-25 fiscal year was the lowest in eight years. Last year 5 lakh tonnes of the national fish were produced, the lowest since the 2016-17 fiscal year. Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid has called raising hilsa production a huge challenge in the present context.

The minister presented these figures for last fiscal year at a press conference at the Secretariat on Monday (6 April) to mark Jatka Conservation Week 2026.

The minister's statement must be taken seriously. He said the government has already undertaken various programmes to increase hilsa production, and that when supply rises prices will come within reach of ordinary people. This assurance is positive, but analysis of the real situation shows that the crisis is many-sided and deep.

Over the past decade, hilsa production in Bangladesh rose significantly: from about 2.9 lakh tonnes in 2008-09 to about 5.6 lakh tonnes in 2021-22. Behind this success were steps such as declaring sanctuaries, conserving jatka and enforcing bans.

In recent years, however, this growth has stalled, and there are even complaints of falling production in some areas. Fishermen, especially in the Meghna basin and coastal areas, say they are catching less hilsa than before.

According to the fisheries department, hilsa production was 5.29 lakh tonnes in 2023-24, 5.71 lakh tonnes in 2022-23, 5.66 lakh tonnes in 2021-22, 5.65 lakh tonnes in 2020-21, 5.50 lakh tonnes in 2019-20, 5.32 lakh tonnes in 2018-19 and 5.17 lakh tonnes in 2017-18. In other words, last year's production was the lowest of the past eight years.

• Jatka killing, destroying the future today: catching jatka (hilsa under 25 centimetres) is illegal, but in practice it has not stopped completely. Research suggests that if jatka catching could be stopped entirely, total production could rise by up to 25-30 percent. But it is hard for poverty-stricken fishermen to comply.
• River navigability and flow: many rivers in the Padma-Meghna basin no longer flow as they did. River grabbing, silting that reduces navigability and unplanned infrastructure are obstructing the movement and breeding of hilsa. Hilsa is a migratory fish that comes from the sea into fresh water to spawn, and any obstacle on this route directly affects production.
• Pollution, the invisible killer: according to experts, dissolved oxygen levels in rivers around Dhaka have in many cases fallen below the limit fish need to survive. Industrial waste, tannery waste and plastic pollution are destroying hilsa breeding grounds.
• Climate change: rising sea temperatures, abnormal rainfall and changing salinity are affecting the natural life cycle of hilsa. Research has shown that even a 1-2 degree rise in water temperature can change the breeding behaviour of fish.

Abdur Rahim, a fisherman from Char Fasson in Bhola district, has caught hilsa for 20 years. He told the media: "We used to get 20-25 kg of hilsa a day; now if we get 5-7 kg we count ourselves lucky." Unable to find other work during the ban, he is forced to borrow, and so he often takes the risk of going out to catch jatka.

Rahim's experience reflects the reality of thousands of fishermen, in which the conflict between law and livelihood is clear.

The government has already declared six hilsa sanctuaries and keeps fishing completely banned for about 22 days a year during the breeding season. A VGF (food aid) programme for fishermen is also running, under which each fishing family receives a fixed amount of rice. In his 6 April remarks the minister said these measures would be strengthened and new plans were being made to increase production. But the reality is that in many cases this support is not enough or does not arrive on time, so fishermen are forced to break the law.

• Ensure alternative livelihoods for fishermen: bans alone cannot solve the problem; microcredit, training and alternative jobs must be created for fishermen.
• River restoration and dredging: regular dredging and eviction of encroachers must be stepped up to restore navigability.
• Strict pollution control: effluent treatment plants must be made mandatory in industries, with strict monitoring.
• Technology and research: modern technology, including satellite tagging, could be used to track hilsa movements, which would help policymaking.
• Regional cooperation: hilsa conservation is not fully possible without coordinated action between Bangladesh, India and Myanmar.

The minister has spoken of hope, and that is certainly positive. But implementation, not assurance, will be the main challenge. Bangladesh has set examples of success in protecting hilsa in the past, but keeping that up will need a tougher, more science-based and more humane approach. Hilsa is our pride and our identity, so protecting it is not only an economic duty but a national one. If effective steps are not taken now, hilsa may one day exist only in stories, not in reality.

The writer is a journalist, columnist and deputy editor of Jago News.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.