Native fish are no longer found in the Padma at Rajshahi as they once were. The river's flow and depth have fallen and its chars and sand have grown; alongside hilsa, many native species are now at risk of disappearing, and the livelihoods of river fishermen have suffered with them.

Department of Fisheries figures for Rajshahi district show the native fish catch from the Padma was 2,283 tonnes in FY2019-20, then 2,221 tonnes in FY2020-21, 2,152 in FY2021-22, 2,040 in FY2022-23 and 1,850 in FY2023-24. In FY2024-25 it fell to 1,620 tonnes.

The hilsa catch in Rajshahi division has also declined: 507 tonnes in FY2018-19, 735 in FY2019-20, 741 in FY2020-21, 581 in FY2021-22, 600 in FY2022-23, 492 in FY2023-24 and 473 in FY2024-25, with officials expecting a further fall in FY2025-26. A survey carried out from 2007 to 2017 found that of 77 native species in the Padma, three were critically endangered, 10 endangered, nine very endangered and nine more near-threatened.

At the Railway Bazar and fish landing in Godagari, river fish are now scarce; most of what is on sale is pond-farmed catla, rui, tilapia, koi and pabda. Baghair sells for Tk 600 to Tk 1,020 a kilogram. "Where I used to catch maunds of fish, it is now down to kilograms," said Durul, a fisherman from Matikata union, who added that many have already left fishing to work as farm labourers.

Those involved cite climate change, the effect of the Farakka Barrage, reduced flow and depth, shrinking breeding grounds, and unplanned use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides on farmland, which drains into the river in the monsoon. Researchers say hilsa will not move up a river unless the water is 20 to 25 feet deep.

River researcher Mahbub Siddiqui said hilsa began to decline at Rajshahi after the Farakka Barrage came into operation and fell further from the 1980s. Rajshahi district fisheries officer Jahangir Alam said hilsa enter freshwater rivers to spawn, and without enough water and a natural current their breeding and movement are likely to be disrupted.

Reported by Krishi Shomoy's Rajshahi correspondent.

Source: Krishi Shomoy