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DHAKA: The government has launched fresh initiatives to boost hilsa production through stricter enforcement of fishing bans, protection of juvenile and breeding fish, expanded support for fishermen, restoration of river navigability and increased research into the country’s national fish.
The initiatives come as hilsa production has declined for two consecutive years, raising concerns among researchers about the sustainability of stocks and the effectiveness of existing conservation measures.
Experts say reversing the decline will require stronger enforcement against illegal fishing, protection of breeding grounds, control of pollution and greater use of scientific research and modern technology. They also stress that fishermen must be involved in conservation efforts and receive adequate support to sustain their livelihoods during fishing bans.
Officials of the Department of Fisheries, however, say fluctuations in hilsa production are not unusual and there is no reason for undue alarm.
Md Abul Kalam Azad, deputy director of the department’s Hilsa Resource Management Section, told BSS that the Hilsa Resource Development and Management Project had ended, but a new project had been prepared and would begin after approval.
Titled “Sustainable Development of Hilsa through Conservation of Mother Hilsa and Jatka”, the proposed project focuses on law enforcement, mobile court operations and alternative employment for fishermen. The number of fishermen covered by the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme has been increased from 6.20 lakh to 6.46 lakh, he said.
Azad acknowledged that hilsa catches had declined again this year, attributing the fall to climate change, ecosystem changes and natural ecological processes. He expressed hope that government initiatives would help production recover in the coming years.
State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku said protecting hilsa was a shared responsibility that required the participation of the entire population, not just the government.
Strict enforcement of fishing restrictions would help increase production and benefit fishermen in the long run, he said, stressing that the 22-day fishing ban from October 8 to 29 must be enforced without exception.
“Hilsa is our national asset and a GI product,” he said. “Hilsa fishing must be stopped during the ban period at any cost.”
Dr Masud Rana, chairman of the Department of Fishing and Post Harvest Technology at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, said the decline in hilsa production could not be attributed to a single cause.
He identified the catching of juvenile hilsa, known as jatka, and mother hilsa during the breeding season as major threats. Other factors include the use of small-mesh nets, declining river navigability, water pollution, unplanned infrastructure development and overfishing at sea.
Citing Department of Fisheries data, Rana said hilsa accounts for around 12 per cent of Bangladesh’s total fish production. Output stood at 5.29 lakh tonnes in fiscal year 2023-24, with an estimated market value of Tk 20,680 crore, before falling to around five lakh tonnes in 2024-25.
He also raised concerns over allegations that industrial trawlers operate inside restricted fishing zones. Although government rules permit industrial trawling beyond a depth of 40 metres, effective monitoring is needed to prevent fishing in prohibited areas, he said.
Rana stressed that protecting breeding hilsa requires year-round action rather than enforcement limited to the annual fishing ban. He called for regular patrols, pollution control and data-driven management plans based on accurate information about spawning grounds and fish movement.
He also recommended greater use of technology to improve hilsa conservation. Satellite imagery and geographic information system (GIS) tools could help identify migration routes and breeding grounds, while artificial intelligence and machine learning could support forecasts of fish movement.
Internet of Things (IoT) sensors could monitor water quality, while DNA analysis and hydroacoustic technology could help assess fish stocks. Drones and AI-assisted surveillance could also strengthen efforts to detect illegal fishing.
GPS-based vessel monitoring, smart fishing gear, digital catch databases and climate-based forecasting could form part of an integrated Smart Hilsa Management System to support sustainable production, he said.
Rana noted that hilsa production had increased in Gujarat’s Narmada estuary and the Bharuch area of India. He said possible explanations included heavy rainfall, changes in salinity, favourable conditions for migration and seasonal variations in fish availability.
He called for comparative research into the riverine and estuarine environments of Bangladesh and Gujarat to determine the reasons behind the differing production trends.
Preserving natural water flows and estuarine conditions in the Padma, Meghna, Tetulia and other major river systems is essential for the long-term survival of hilsa, he added.
Prof Md Abdul Wahab of the Department of Marine Fisheries and Aquaculture at Bangladesh Maritime University also said hilsa production had declined over the past two years.
He recalled that production had increased from 3.96 lakh tonnes in 2016, generally rising by around 10,000 to 20,000 tonnes annually. Based on the sector’s potential, he estimated that a sustainable annual catch could reach 5.5 lakh to six lakh tonnes.
Wahab identified the catching of mother hilsa during the breeding season and the indiscriminate killing of jatka as the two biggest threats to stocks.
While the 22-day fishing ban in October remains important, he said research should examine whether its timing needs to be adjusted in response to changing climatic conditions.
The earlier rise in production followed a combination of conservation measures, including the 22-day ban on hilsa fishing, an eight-month restriction on jatka fishing, closures of sanctuaries during March and April, a ban on nets with mesh smaller than 6.5 centimetres, and the provision of rice and other assistance to fishermen during restricted periods.
However, Wahab said the five hilsa sanctuaries designated in 2005 urgently needed reassessment and updated boundaries to ensure that they continued to protect important breeding and nursery grounds.
He explained that after spawning in the Padma-Meghna basin, jatka move towards the sea in large shoals during March and April. Many are caught using prohibited nets in rivers or by artisanal trawlers operating at depths of less than 40 metres.
He urged the authorities to adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards the illegal catching of juvenile hilsa.
Fishermen Md Liton Hossain, Md Kaiyum and Niru Khan, who work on the Bishkhali River, described how juvenile fish are caught at different stages of growth.
According to them, extremely small fish are caught with sieve-like nets soon after hatching and sold as “chapila”. Larger fish are then caught with current nets, while shoals are targeted using prohibited behundi nets deployed from trawlers.
Pollution is another growing concern. A study by the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute found that plankton consumed by hilsa had declined by 68 per cent in the Meghna River, largely due to pollution.
The institute’s chief scientific officer, Mohammad Ashraful Alam, also found an alarming decline in plankton in the Padma and Meghna estuaries, a development that could affect hilsa growth and size.
Hilsa is a major source of income for coastal communities and an important contributor to Bangladesh’s economy. Around six lakh people are directly involved in catching the fish, while another 20 lakh to 25 lakh people are engaged directly or indirectly in its transport, marketing and processing.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s 2024 State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report, Bangladesh ranks second globally in inland capture fisheries, fifth in aquaculture and first in hilsa production. Hilsa received Geographical Indication (GI) status in Bangladesh on August 17, 2017.
Experts say reversing the current decline will require a coordinated approach combining effective enforcement, habitat restoration, pollution control, scientific research and livelihood support for fishing communities. Without these measures, they warn, short-term restrictions alone may not be enough to secure sustainable hilsa production for future generations.