📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Biswarup Ganguly
Agriculture
Bangladesh to import Hilsa fish from Gujarat as local catches fall
✍️ New Age BD
🗓 19 Sep 2026, 05:31 AM
👁 12
Reduced hilsa catches in Bangladesh have led the government to source the fish from India's Gujarat state.
Bangladesh's annual hilsa harvest has slipped noticeably this year, prompting concerns among fishery officials about supply shortages. The decline, attributed to over‑fishing, changing river patterns and environmental stress, has lowered domestic availability of the prized fish.
In response, the Bangladeshi authorities have announced plans to import hilsa directly from the Indian state of Gujarat, where the species is cultivated in coastal farms and caught in the Arabian Sea. Trade channels are being opened to move the fish across the border, with initial shipments expected within weeks.
The move aims to stabilise market prices and ensure that consumers continue to access hilsa during the peak season. While importers welcome the decision, local fishermen fear reduced demand for their catch could exacerbate livelihood pressures. The arrangement also underscores growing regional cooperation in fisheries management.
In response, the Bangladeshi authorities have announced plans to import hilsa directly from the Indian state of Gujarat, where the species is cultivated in coastal farms and caught in the Arabian Sea. Trade channels are being opened to move the fish across the border, with initial shipments expected within weeks.
The move aims to stabilise market prices and ensure that consumers continue to access hilsa during the peak season. While importers welcome the decision, local fishermen fear reduced demand for their catch could exacerbate livelihood pressures. The arrangement also underscores growing regional cooperation in fisheries management.