Hilsa output falls by nearly 71,000 tonnes in two years, export earnings also under pressure

Hilsa, Bangladesh's national fish, is not just a food item; it is also an important part of the country's fisheries economy, employment and export trade. From the livelihoods of river- and sea-based fishers to landing centres, transport, ice factories and wholesale and retail markets, a large economic activity has grown around hilsa. But as production has fallen in recent years, fresh concern has arisen over supply, market prices and export prospects in the sector.

According to the Department of Fisheries, hilsa production in the country was about 256,000 tonnes in fiscal 2003-04. It rose steadily to 571,342 tonnes in fiscal 2022-23. But a downward trend then appeared. In fiscal 2023-24, production fell to 529,487 tonnes. In the latest fiscal year, 2024-25, it dropped further to about 500,000 tonnes. Production has fallen by about 71,000 tonnes in two fiscal years.

By the department's calculation, the value of hilsa produced in fiscal 2023-24 was about Tk 20,680 crore. About 12 percent of the country's total fish production comes from this single species.

To increase hilsa production and availability, a 22-day ban is imposed every year during the breeding season, and fishing is also stopped at set times to conserve juvenile hilsa, known as jatka. These steps helped production rise significantly over the past two decades. But the recent fall shows that seasonal bans and drives alone are not ensuring continuity of production.

River pollution, changes in breeding grounds, unplanned sand extraction, the formation of underwater shoals and fishing in defiance of the ban are affecting the movement and breeding of hilsa. As a result, protecting breeding grounds and strengthening year-round surveillance have become urgent.

Because domestic demand for hilsa is high, falling production puts pressure on supply. In the season in particular, there are complaints that the price of large hilsa goes beyond the reach of ordinary buyers. Fishers, landing-centre traders, transporters, ice factories and fish traders also face the effects of lower production and catch. When supply falls, business uncertainty grows not only for consumers but across the whole supply chain.

Bangladeshi hilsa is also known in export markets, with notable demand in India's West Bengal in particular. But even when production was higher, export earnings did not rise proportionately. According to the Export Promotion Bureau, earnings from hilsa exports to India were 16.43 million dollars in fiscal 2020-21. In fiscal 2024-25, that fell to 5.37 million dollars. The volume exported to India that year was also comparatively low. In other words, although there is demand in the international market, the continuity and volume of exports could not be maintained.

To realise the economic potential of the hilsa sector, quality control, preservation, refrigerated transport and export infrastructure need to be developed alongside raising production. A balance must also be kept between domestic supply and exports. If the breeding-season ban is enforced effectively, alternative income and food assistance for fishers are ensured, and the environment of rivers and estuaries is protected, production could be kept stable in the long term. Restoring stability in production and supply would have a positive effect on the fisheries economy, fishers' livelihoods and export earnings alike.