The hilsa trade has turned on its head. India, which usually receives hilsa from Bangladesh, is now exporting the fish to Bangladesh. About 500 tonnes of hilsa have reached Bangladesh through West Bengal's Petrapole land port in the past two months.

Indian traders say another 150 to 200 tonnes may be exported to Bangladesh in the coming weeks.

Hilsa usually goes to India during the Durga Puja season when the Bangladesh government gives permission, but hilsa exports from Bangladesh to India are currently halted. Traders therefore see Indian hilsa going to Bangladesh as an unusual event.

Syed Anwar Maksud, secretary of the Fish Importers Association of the Bengal and Howrah wholesale fish markets, said this was the first time Indian hilsa was being exported to Bangladesh, and he called it positive. According to him, most of the exported hilsa comes from Gujarat.

Kartik Chakraborty, secretary of the Petrapole Clearing Agents Staff Welfare Association, said they used to wait for hilsa from Bangladesh's Padma river; later hilsa imports were limited, and now hilsa is going from India to Bangladesh.

A significant share of the exported hilsa comes from the Bharuch area of Gujarat, and some consignments are also supplied through the Howrah fish market in West Bengal.

Pradeep Dey, director of the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, said hilsa exports from India to Bangladesh are not just a commercial event; they also show consumers' strong interest in the fish, its economic value and regional demand.

In his view, as a high-value fishery resource, hilsa can play an important role in fishermen's livelihoods, food security, local consumption and regional trade.

He believes it also creates a new opportunity for West Bengal, and that a sustainable hilsa economy can be built through science-based stock enhancement, responsible fishing, post-harvest value addition and an integrated marketing system.

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