Bangladesh political crisis may disrupt annual Hilsa fish arrival to India

The political unrest in Bangladesh is set to affect Indian connoisseurs of the famed Hilsa fish. The Hilsa fish from Bangladesh is unlikely to grace Indian markets this year, according to a report by The Economic Times.

Traditionally, the former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina would send shipments of Hilsa to India annually as a goodwill gesture around August to October, despite export restrictions imposed by the Bangladeshi government.

Since 2012, Bangladesh has halted Hilsa exports to satisfy domestic demand and prevent the sale of undersized fish. However, in the lead-up to Indian festivals, Sheikh Hasina’s administration would often send Hilsa to India as a symbolic "gift."

Typically, the Hilsa would travel from Bangladesh to West Bengal via the Petrapole border, then be distributed to various regions in India where there is a high demand for the fish, the business daily said.

Last year, just before Durga Puja, the Bangladeshi government permitted the sale of nearly 3,950 metric tonnes of Padma Hilsa to India. This year, however, it seems this quantity of Bangladeshi Hilsa might not arrive at all.

Currently, Hilsa is sourced from Myanmar and Odisha, with some entering India from Bangladesh through unofficial channels. Bangladeshi Hilsa could cost between Rs 2,200 and Rs 2,400 per kilogram. The prices for Hilsa from Myanmar and Odisha have already increased by 30 per cent compared to last year, and Bangladeshi Hilsa will be even more expensive, the report cited Syed Anwar Maqsood, secretary of the Fish Importers' Association, as saying.

Bangladeshi Hilsa, particularly the 'Padmar ilish' from the Padma River, is highly esteemed for its superior taste.

Maqsood mentioned that the situation in Bangladesh is so unstable that it's unlikely any Hilsa will be received from there this year. He also noted that their fish exports to Bangladesh through the Petrapole border might be affected.

Moreover, the supply of Hilsa from West Bengal has been poor this year. In Delhi, where there is significant demand, traders are passing off Myanmar Hilsa as Bangladeshi, the report claimed.

This year, Kolkata markets have been flooded with juvenile Hilsa weighing between 200-400 grams, caught from the Bay of Bengal. This overfishing of young Hilsa is severely damaging the Hilsa ecosystem in the Ganges estuary, ET said.

Fishermen are using fine mesh nets to capture even the smallest fish. This unsustainable practice forces the Hilsa population to spawn in Bangladesh, where catching juvenile Hilsa is illegal. The river systems flowing into the Bay of Bengal account for 90 per cent of the country's Hilsa catch, the report noted.