Despite being locally produced in Bangladesh, the price of hilsa fish has been witnessing a significant surge within the country.
Insiders say the demand for hilsa fish is not keeping pace with its production rate, and paradoxically, the production of hilsa fish in the river is declining.
Monirul Alam, a resident of Shantinagar in the capital, went to the market on Sunday to buy hilsa fish, when he heard the price of fish; he was surprised and decided to buy other fish instead of hilsa.
Monirul said, “Although it is domestically produced, the seller is demanding a staggering price of Tk2,100 per kg for hilsa fish. Considering the relatively low production costs for hilsa, it raises questions as to why we must purchase fish from natural sources at such exorbitant prices.”
However, in response to Monirul's question, the fish sellers said that they justify the soaring prices by citing the 65-day closure of fishing in the sea and reduced availability of fish in the rivers. The limited supply cannot meet the high demand, leading to the price surge.
However, the 'National Fisheries Week-2023' will begin from today (July 24) highlighting the importance of fisheries resources in fulfilling nutritional and food demand of the country's increasing population.
In an effort to boost hilsa production, the Department of Fisheries initiated the “Hilsa Development and Management Project” valued at Tk246 crores or 2.46 billion in 2019.
According to the fisheries department data, the production of hilsa in the financial year (FY) 2018-19 was 5 lakh 33 thousand metric tons. The fisheries department has set a target of increasing the annual production by 620 thousand tons or 16 per cent in 4 years. However, it has achieved 6.34 per cent growth in 3 years, which is less than half of the target.
The growth rate in FY2019-20 stood at 3.3 per cent, which slightly decreased to 2.68 per cent in FY2020-21. However, the growth rate further plummeted to 0.25 per cent in 2021-22.
Hilsa fish in Bangladesh is extracted from three main sources-- the sea, river, and the reservoirs in the Sundarban area. Among these, the production of hilsa in the sea experienced a slight increase of 2.64 per cent in the FY2021-22, while there was a decrease of 2.72 per cent in the river.
Moreover, hilsa production in the Sundarban area also witnessed a significant decline of 7.54 per cent during the same period. In specific figures, the hilsa production from the sea was recorded at 3.21 lakh metric tons in FY2021-22, compared to 3.13 lakh tons in the previous year (2020-21).
Hilsa production in the country’s rivers was 2.44 lakh tons in 2021-22, down from 2.5 million tons in the preceding year. Additionally, the hilsa production in the Sundarban area dropped to 687 metric tons in 2021-22, compared to 743 metric tons in the previous year.
Experts said various factors contribute to the decline in hilsa production, encompassing essential research, rigorous monitoring, jatka eradication, facilitating fish movement in the river, and addressing environmental pollution.
Amidst this scenario, National Fisheries Week-2023 commences today, and the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock has unveiled an array of programmes scheduled throughout the week. Simultaneously, following the conclusion of the 65-day fishing ban, all fishing activities in the sea are set to resume starting from today.
Fisheries week programmes
As part of the central programme, a colorful procession will be held on the first day of the week at 8:00 am on July 24 at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital. Fisheries and Livestock Minister SH Rezaul Karim will attend at a press conference at Department of Fisheries in the capital at 10:00 AM today (Monday).
On the second day of the week, the opening ceremony of the National Fisheries Week 2023 will be held at Osmani Smriti Auditorium in the capital on the morning of 25 July. Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, Speaker of the National Parliament, will officially inaugurate the day.
On that day, 21 persons and organizations in eight sectors will be awarded the National Fisheries Medal, 2023 on this occasion for recognition of their contribution to the country's fisheries sector.
Besides, articles on the success and achievements of the country's fisheries sector will be published in the newspaper.
On the third day, July 26, a colorful naval rally will be held at Hatirjheel in the capital.
On the fourth day of the week, the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute will organise a seminar on the morning of July 27 at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council auditorium in Dhaka. President Md. Sahabuddin will release fish fry in Bangabhaban pond.
