Govt takes new initiatives to boost hilsa production
Bangladesh moves to strengthen hilsa protection as catches decline
Bdbusinessdaily.com – Bangladesh is preparing a new conservation drive for hilsa, combining tighter enforcement, support for fishing households and expanded research as production of the national fish has slipped after years of growth.
The planned effort places particular emphasis on protecting mother hilsa during breeding periods and preventing the harvesting of jatka, the juvenile fish whose survival is central to future catches. Officials also intend to use mobile courts, improve river navigability and create alternative earning opportunities for fishers affected by seasonal restrictions.
Hilsa is both an important food fish and a valuable national resource. It carries geographical indication recognition and contributes roughly 12% of Bangladesh’s total fish output. In the 2023-24 fiscal year, hilsa production reached 5.29 lakh tonnes, with an estimated value of Tk20,680 crore. Output then fell to about 5 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, a drop of approximately 5.5%.
A new project after the previous programme ends
The Department of Fisheries has completed its Hilsa Resource Development and Management Project and has prepared a replacement programme for approval. The proposed initiative, titled “Sustainable Development of Hilsa through Conservation of Mother Hilsa and Jatka,” is expected to focus on enforcement activity, mobile-court operations and options for alternative livelihoods.
Md Abul Kalam Azad, deputy director of the Hilsa Resource Management Section, said fluctuations in hilsa landings can occur and should not automatically be treated as a crisis. He linked the recent fall to climate change, changing ecosystems and natural succession, while expressing optimism that the new measures could improve production over coming years.
Financial assistance for fishing communities is also being widened through the Vulnerable Group Feeding programme. Its coverage has increased from 6.20 lakh beneficiaries to 6.46 lakh beneficiaries. Such support is especially significant during closed fishing periods, when conservation rules can remove a household’s main source of income.
Fishing ban requires broader participation
State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku said safeguarding hilsa cannot be left to government agencies alone. He urged a collective commitment to observing restrictions, arguing that stronger compliance would ultimately help fishing families as well as fish stocks.
“Hilsa is our national asset and a GI product,” he said.
The government’s 22-day prohibition on hilsa fishing runs from 8 October to 29 October. Tuku stressed that the restriction must be applied firmly throughout the ban.
“Hilsa fishing must be stopped during the ban period at any cost.”
The central challenge is to make conservation workable for the people whose income depends on the river and the sea. Protection measures are more likely to be effective when fishers have food assistance, viable temporary work and a clear stake in the recovery of the resource.
Multiple pressures on hilsa stocks
Dr Masud Rana, chairman of the Department of Fishing and Post Harvest Technology at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, said the decline cannot be traced to one cause. He pointed to the capture of jatka, fishing for breeding fish, small-mesh nets, deteriorating river navigability, pollution, unplanned infrastructure and excessive fishing pressure in marine waters.
He also raised concerns over industrial trawlers. Government documents allow such vessels to operate beyond waters deeper than 40 metres, but allegations persist that trawlers enter areas where they should not be fishing. Regular patrols and enforcement campaigns should continue outside the formal ban season, he said, rather than being limited to a few weeks each year.
Protecting breeding grounds, managing pollution and preserving water movement in major river systems are all closely connected to the hilsa cycle. Rana highlighted the Padma, Meghna and Tetulia, along with other important river basins, as environments where natural flows and estuarine conditions need protection.
Technology could support smarter management
Research and monitoring could make enforcement more precise. Rana suggested satellite imagery and geographic information system technology to identify migration corridors and spawning areas. Artificial intelligence and machine-learning tools could potentially help forecast fish movements, while Internet of Things sensors could track changes in water quality.
Other possible tools include DNA testing and hydroacoustic methods for estimating fish stocks, along with drone surveillance and AI-assisted monitoring to deter illegal fishing. GPS-based vessel tracking, improved fishing gear, digital catch records and climate-informed forecasting could be brought together as part of a Smart Hilsa Management System.
These approaches would not replace conventional conservation work, but they could give authorities and researchers better information about where fish are moving, where they breed and where enforcement is most urgently needed.
Need for more comparative research
Questions remain about why hilsa production has risen in parts of Gujarat, including the Narmada estuary and the Bharuch area. Rana said heavy rainfall, shifts in salinity, favourable migration conditions and seasonal fish availability may be contributing factors there.
Further comparative study of Bangladesh’s riverine and estuarine habitats alongside those in Gujarat could help clarify whether environmental conditions, water flow or management practices are influencing the different trends. Such research may be useful as Bangladesh responds to climate-related changes in its own rivers and coastal waters.
Prof Md Abdul Wahab of Bangladesh Maritime University said hilsa production has declined during the past two years. The renewed government programme therefore arrives at a consequential moment: maintaining the fishery will require enforcement against harmful practices, support for affected fishers and better evidence on the changing waters that sustain hilsa.
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