On Thursday, West Bengal received approximately 50 MT of Hilsa from Bangladesh, the season’s first shipment. Importers claimed that because the catch was reduced this time, fish were smaller and their prices were higher.

According to importers, the fish are smaller this time around, and their prices are higher. Illustration: “Around fifty metric tons of Hilsa from Bangladesh have already reached West Bengal. The Fish Importers’ Association secretary in West Bengal, SA Maqsood, stated, “Another 30-40 MT are anticipated to Obtain over the weekend.”

This year, approximately 49 businesses were granted permission to export approximately 2,420 MT of fish through the Petrapole border by Bangladeshi authorities. People who are aware of the development stated that the remaining shipments would arrive within the next few days.

Because of its flavour, hilsa is often called the “Queen of Fish.” The Bangladeshi hilsa that is found in the Padma River is thought to be better than the Indian hilsa that is found in the Hooghly River in West Bengal. The Bangladeshi Hilsa is in high demand in Assam and Tripura, outside of West Bengal.

Since 2012, the former Sheikh Hasina-Authorities have prohibited Hilsa exports, but beginning in 2019, a few thousand metric tonnes of the fish have been permitted to be shipped to India during this time of year. It was thought to be a gift for Durga Puja.

He stated, “We imported approximately 4,600 MT, 2900 MT, and 3,950 MT of Hilsa from Bangladesh respectively in 2021, 2022, and 2023.”

The association of fish importers wrote to the interim authorities in Bangladesh earlier this year to lift the ban. A statement from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 21 indicated that approximately 3,000 metric tons of Hilsa could be exported to West Bengal.

The imported Hilsa made it to the wholesale markets in Howrah, Sealdah, Patipukur, and Siliguri by Friday. They started going to the local retail markets on Saturday. However, this time around, fish are smaller in size and more expensive. This year, Bangladesh’s production has decreased, Maqsood stated.

According to importers, the average size of fish that landed in West Bengal ranges from 700 grams to approximately 1 kilogram, compared to 1 kilogram to 1.5 kilograms in previous years. In the wholesale market, prices range from 1,000 to 1,500 this year, which represents an increase.

Hilsa shoals swim several kilometres from the sea into the estuaries and upstream along the River Hooghly during the monsoon season to spawn before returning to the Bay of Bengal. The Hilsa subadult swims downstream into the sea after the eggs hatch in freshwater. In February and March, another lot arrives.

The Hilsa catch in West Bengal, on the other hand, has decreased over time for a variety of reasons. The production has been poor this year. According to Shyamsundar Das, the West Bengal United Fishermen Association’s joint secretary, “only around 2000 metric tons have been hauled so far.”

The 2011 Hilsa catch, according to a senior state fishery department official, was approximately 16500 metric tons. Over the next three years, it fell below ten thousand metric tons. The highest haul in recent memory was approximately 26,000 metric tons of Hilsa caught in 2017. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it fell to 2085 in 2020, the lowest level in recent memory.

In 2021, 2022, and 2023, fishermen in West Bengal were only able to catch approximately 6170 MT, 5600 MT, and 6800 Hilsa.

Unrestricted fishing, pollution, rainfall, a decrease in river depth as a result of siltation, and river flush at this time of year are just a few of the many contributing factors to the declining catch.

They are extremely sensitive to minute shifts. To reproduce, they would swim from the sea to rivers and swim in the direction of favourable conditions. “They enter the Meghna-Padma estuary in Bangladesh if they don’t find suitable conditions there,” Das stated.

According to experts, riverbed siltation near the river’s mouth is a major contributor. The Hilsa will not swim upstream if it does not reach a depth of 30-40 feet. Due to years of siltation, this depth has decreased to between 20 and 25 feet in the Hooghly. “Fishing is prohibited in India from mid-April to mid-June.” However, we also demand an increase in the size of the fishing net to protect juvenile fish. Bangladesh has enacted stringent laws, which are paying off. Every year, the country receives bumper catch. The official from the fishery department added, “These days, we rarely get hilsas in Hooghly River that are more than 1.5 kilograms.”

As a result, a Hilsa fish that weighs more than 1.5 kilograms is selling for between 2000 and 2500 rupees per kilogram in Kolkata. Although it is difficult to locate a hilsa of a reasonable size, juvenile hilsa weighing between 500 and 700 grams are typically available on the market.