The government has taken new initiatives to boost hilsa production, Bangladesh's national fish, through stricter law enforcement, measures to prevent the catching of jatka (juvenile hilsa), mobile court operations, restoration of river navigability, increased research and higher allocations under the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme for fishermen.
Experts say hilsa production will recover only if fishermen's participation is ensured and their livelihoods are balanced with conservation efforts.
Department of Fisheries officials said hilsa production can fluctuate and there is no reason for alarm.
However, several researchers have called for further research and comparative studies of riverine and estuarine environments in Bangladesh and Gujarat to explain the rise in hilsa production in Gujarat.
Md Abul Kalam Azad, deputy director of the Department of Fisheries' Hilsa Resource Management Section, told BSS that the "Hilsa Resource Development and Management Project" has ended, but a new project has been prepared and will begin after approval.
Titled "Sustainable Development of Hilsa through Conservation of Mother Hilsa and Jatka", the new project focuses on law enforcement, mobile courts and alternative employment opportunities. VGF coverage has been increased from 6.20 lakh to 6.46 lakh beneficiaries.
Acknowledging that hilsa catches have declined again this year, Azad attributed the fall to climate change, ecosystem changes and natural succession. However, he expressed hope that production would increase in the coming years because of government initiatives.
State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku told BSS that protecting hilsa is everyone's responsibility, not just the government's. Collective efforts to enforce the fishing ban would boost production and benefit fishermen in the long run.
"Hilsa is our national asset and a GI product," he said, adding that the 22-day fishing ban from 8 October to 29 October must be strictly enforced. "Hilsa fishing must be stopped during the ban period at any cost."
Dr Masud Rana, chairman of the Department of Fishing and Post Harvest Technology at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, told BSS that no single factor is responsible for the decline in hilsa production. He cited the catching of jatka, the catching of mother hilsa during the breeding season, the use of small-mesh nets, declining river navigability, pollution, unplanned infrastructure development and overfishing at sea.
Citing Department of Fisheries data, he said hilsa accounts for around 12% of the country's total fish production. Production stood at 5.29 lakh tonnes in the 2023-24 fiscal year, worth around Tk20,680 crore, but fell to about 5 lakh tonnes in 2024-25 fiscal year, a decline of approximately 5.5% after years of steady growth.
He said government documents permit industrial trawlers to operate in waters deeper than 40 metres, but there are allegations that trawlers are operating in restricted zones.
Effective protection of mother hilsa is essential, he said, calling for regular patrols and enforcement drives beyond the ban period, pollution control and data-driven management plans based on hilsa spawning grounds.
He said satellite and geographic information system (GIS) technology could help identify hilsa migration routes and breeding grounds, while artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning could forecast fish movements. Internet of Things (IoT) sensors could monitor water quality, while DNA analysis and hydroacoustic technology could help assess fish stocks. Drone-based and AI-powered surveillance could also help curb illegal fishing.
GPS-based vessel monitoring, smart fishing gear, a digital catch database and climate-based forecasting could further strengthen conservation efforts. Together, these technologies could form a Smart Hilsa Management System to preserve fish stocks and ensure sustainable production.
Dr Rana said hilsa production had increased in Gujarat's Narmada estuary and Bharuch area, possibly because of heavy rainfall, changes in salinity, favourable conditions for hilsa migration and seasonal fish availability.
He stressed the need to preserve natural water flows and estuarine environments in the Padma, Meghna, Tetulia and other major river basins.
Prof Md Abdul Wahab of the Department of Marine Fisheries and Aquaculture at Bangladesh Maritime University told BSS that hilsa production had declined over the past two years. Production rose from 3.96 lakh tonnes in 2016 by 10,000 to 20,000 tonnes annually in subsequent years. A sustainable annual catch would be between 5.5 lakh and 6 lakh tonnes, he said.
He identified the catching of mother hilsa during the breeding season and the indiscriminate killing of jatka as the two main causes of the decline. Although the 22-day fishing ban in October remains in place, he said further research was needed to determine whether its timing should be adjusted in response to climate change.
Hilsa production had previously increased because of a combination of conservation measures, including the 22-day fishing ban, an eight-month ban on jatka fishing, the closure of sanctuaries in March and April, a ban on nets with mesh sizes below 6.5 centimetres, and the distribution of rice and other assistance to fishermen during fishing bans.
The five sanctuaries designated in 2005 urgently need to be reassessed and their boundaries redrawn, he said.
Prof Wahab said jatka move towards the sea in large shoals in March and April after spawning in the Padma-Meghna basin. However, they are caught using banned nets in rivers and by artisanal trawlers operating in waters less than 40 metres deep. He urged the government to adopt a "zero tolerance" policy towards such fishing.
Fishermen Md Liton Hossain, Md Kaiyum and Niru Khan of the Bishkhali River said fry are caught using sieve-like nets shortly after hatching. The smallest fish are first caught and sold as "chapila". Larger fish are then caught using current nets, followed by the mass catching of fish with banned "behundi" nets operated from trawlers.
A study by the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute found that the plankton consumed by hilsa had declined by 68% in the Meghna River, largely because of pollution.
Chief Scientific Officer Mohammad Ashraful Alam also found an alarming decline in plankton in the Padma and Meghna estuaries, affecting the size of hilsa.
Hilsa is vital to Bangladesh's economy and coastal livelihoods. Around six lakh people are directly involved in catching the fish, while another 20 lakh to 25 lakh people are directly or indirectly engaged in its transport, marketing and processing.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization's "2024 State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture" report, Bangladesh ranks second in inland capture fisheries, fifth in aquaculture and first in hilsa production. Hilsa received Geographical Indication (GI) status on 17 August 2017.