Hilsa production in Bangladesh has fallen sharply due to siltation in major rivers, illegal fishing in the Bay of Bengal despite restrictions, climate change, and water pollution. As a result, the national fish has become increasingly unaffordable for ordinary consumers.
The Department of Fisheries has identified heavy silt deposits in 52 critical river points. Among the most affected are nearly 50 kilometers stretching from Sonarchar in Patuakhali’s Rangabali to Dhalchar in Noakhali along the Meghna and Tetulia rivers, where silt is severely blocking the migration routes of hilsa from sea to river. The department has submitted a list of affected routes to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, urging urgent dredging to restore navigability.
Molla Emdadullah, director of the Hilsa Resource Development and Management Project, said government protection measures have been focused mainly on rivers, while no effective conservation steps are in place in the sea, despite 60 percent of hilsa being caught there.
Consumers in Dhaka say hilsa has nearly vanished from markets, and the few fish available are being sold at record prices. Hilsa is now selling for Tk 2,500 to Tk 2,600 per kilogram.
Nurunnabi Hossain, a schoolteacher in Old Dhaka’s Nawabganj market, said, “Last year I bought hilsa at Tk 1,200 per kilogram. Now the price has more than doubled.”
Fish trader Sanaullah Mridha at New Market said small hilsa weighing under 600 grams are being sold at Tk 1,800 to Tk 2,000 per kilogram, while medium-sized hilsa of 800–900 grams are priced at Tk 2,200 to Tk 2,500 each. He added that wholesale prices have also risen sharply.
According to him, a maund (40 kilograms) of medium-sized hilsa at Sadarghat wholesale market now costs between Tk 72,000 and Tk 76,000.
Wholesalers voiced similar concerns. Ramzan Ali, a trader at Karwan Bazar, said large hilsa weighing over one kilogram are being sold at Tk 3,000 to Tk 3,500 per kilogram in wholesale markets across Barishal, Barguna, Cox’s Bazar, and Patuakhali. He added that medium-sized hilsa in coastal wholesale markets are selling for Tk 1,700 to Tk 1,750 per kilogram, while smaller fish are priced at Tk 1,150 to Tk 1,200 per kilogram.
