Hilsa supply has increased in Chandpur markets toward the end of the fishing season, bringing down prices by Tk150–300 per kilogram over the past two weeks.
However, the market continues to face a supply shortage amid declining hilsa production in Bangladesh and rising demand. Against this backdrop, the recent import of 500 tonnes of hilsa from India has surprised many, particularly as Bangladesh has traditionally been a major source of the fish.
Traders and fisheries experts say declining availability of hilsa in rivers and the sea over the past several years has increased fishing costs, contributing to higher prices.
Badsha Mal, a trader at the Chandpur Boro Station Fish Landing Centre, said large quantities of hilsa are arriving from coastal areas. “Although some of the fish are relatively small, traders are happy with the increase in supply. We hope the supply will continue until the fishing ban begins,” he said.
He said prices of high-quality hilsa have not fallen significantly. A fresh one-kilogram fish is currently selling for Tk2,300–2,400, while hilsa with large quantities of roe is being sold for Tk1,600–1,800 per kilogram.
Traders said the quality of the imported Indian hilsa is comparatively poor, with many of the fish containing large amounts of roe.
They suggested that the lower quality may be one reason the fish is being sent to the Bangladeshi market.
Shabe Barat Sarker, general secretary of the Chandpur Fish Traders Cooperative Association, said hilsa supplies at the Boro Station Fish Landing Centre have increased significantly in recent days. “Some 700–800 maunds of hilsa arrived at the market on Wednesday. As supply has increased, prices are gradually falling,” he said.
According to him, hilsa is arriving from Chandpur's rivers as well as coastal areas including Noakhali, Lakshmipur and Hatiya.
Currently, one-kilogram hilsa is selling for around Tk2,300, while 700–800 gram fish are priced at Tk1,700–1,900 per kilogram. Fish weighing around 500 grams are selling for about Tk1,000 per kilogram.
He expressed hope that supplies would remain steady until the fishing ban begins, allowing prices to decline further.
Shah Alam, another trader at the Chandpur Boro Station wholesale market, said hilsa supplies had remained low throughout the season. “However, supplies have increased over the past few days, and prices have fallen by Tk200–300 per kilogram,” he said.
Hilsa researcher Dr Anisur Rahman said the decline in hilsa availability was a matter of concern for Bangladesh. “Hilsa used to be exported from Bangladesh to different parts of the world. Now we are hearing about hilsa being imported into the country,” he said. He said there was little indication that hilsa production would increase this year.
Dr Rahman called for detailed research to identify the reasons behind the decline and urged authorities to take measures to address the problem.
He said both medium- and long-term initiatives involving fisheries experts and coordination among different ministries would be necessary. The researcher also warned that the country's hilsa resources have declined, particularly the availability of large-sized fish.
“If the problems are not identified and addressed quickly, the production of not only hilsa but also other fish species could face further negative impacts within the next two to four years,” he said.
Fisheries officials say government measures such as establishing sanctuaries, protecting mother hilsa and jatka, imposing seasonal fishing bans in the Bay of Bengal, raising awareness among fishermen and providing government incentives have contributed to increases in hilsa production in previous years.
However, production has declined by more than 7% over the past three years.
According to data from the district fisheries department, Bangladesh produced 255,839 metric tonnes of hilsah in the 2003–04 fiscal year. Of this, 71,001 metric tonnes came from inland waters and 184,837 metric tonnes from marine waters.
Production increased steadily over the following two decades, reaching 571,342 metric tonnes in the 2022–23 fiscal year. Of the total, 271,330 metric tonnes came from inland waters and 300,012 metric tonnes from marine waters.
The upward trend was disrupted by factors including river pollution and unplanned sand extraction using hundreds of dredgers.
Hilsa production fell by 7.33% in the 2023–24 fiscal year to 529,487 metric tonnes. It declined further to around 500,000 metric tonnes in the 2024–25 fiscal year. The continued decline in production, combined with rising fishing costs and demand, has intensified concerns over the future availability and affordability of Bangladesh's national fish.
