Shoals in Meghna estuary threaten hilsa breeding

A sudden rise of shoals in the estuary of Meghna River during hilsa breeding season is threatening the production of the fish.

Apart from hilsa, the fishermen are not getting the desired amount of other fishes in the Meghna and nearby rivers despite an abundance of fish in the sea.

In this situation, fisheries researchers stressed immediate action to ensure that annual fish production is not hampered.

In recent years, the production of fish in the country has been gradually increasing due to various initiatives taken by the government. As a

result, the fishermen have been catching large quantities of hilsa and other marine fishes from the sea, estuaries and rivers.

However, the quantity of fish caught in the rivers has decreased recently due to the gradually rising shoal lands in the estuary of the Meghna, said the local fishermen.

Ismail Mridha, a fisherman from Shoal Montaj village of Patuakhali’s Rangabali upazila, said, “Earlier, I used to get a good amount of fish every time I cast the net in the nearby rivers. But the amount has decreased recently as the shoals not only hinder boat movements but also obstruct fishes from entering the rivers.”

The three-week-long hilsa breeding season began on October 7. During this time, scores of hilsa rush from the sea to the river to lay their eggs.

According to fisheries researchers, due to large areas of shoal rising in the Meghna estuary, the movement of fish may be hindered, leading to a hilsa crisis later on in the season.

Patuakhali University of Science and Technology’s fisheries department Professor Dr Lokman Ali said, “Hilsa needs a certain water depth when migrating from the sea to the river. They cannot come into the river if the estuary is not deep enough.”

Observing that the only way to ensure fish migration is dredging, he said, “However, our country does not have the necessary equipment to dredge the estuary or the coasts.”

In reply to a query, Lokman said the shoals must be marked first along with hilsa migration routes. Increasing the depth of the estuary is the only way to ensure increased migration of fishes to the rivers from the sea.

In this regard, District Fisheries Officer SM Azharul Islam said, “We are aware of the situation. The higher authorities have been informed about the issue and initiatives will be taken quickly to ensure hilsa migration and breeding go seamlessly.”

Department of Fisheries Director General K Mahbubul Haque said, “Due to the silt, shoals have risen in the estuary, i.e. where the river meets the sea. Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute is investigating the matter and how to overcome this situation.”

“This topic is on the agenda of the inter-ministerial meeting,” he informed, adding that they are working on the problem keeping the future in mind.

This year the fisheries department is expecting to net the highest amount of fish from the coastal area, breaking the record of the previous years.

In the Patuakhli district around 11,888.65 tonnes of hilsa were caught from July to September last year while this year, 13,007 tonnes of hilsa were netted during the same period. However, the fishermen did not catch the desired amount of hilsa in the rivers compared to last year.