Login Latest Bangladesh Politics World Trade Opinion Sports Entertainment Jobs Lifestyle Video Search E-paper Eng Login Bangladesh Fishing Vessels Increase in the Sea, Overfishing Leads to Decline in Hilsa Partha Shankar Saha Dhaka Update: September 23, 2026, 07:41 AM Hilsa is scarce in the market compared to demand, and prices are high. Recently, a photo from Karwan Bazar in the capital: Prothom Alo. The fishing activity at Mohipur Fish Port in Kalapara, Patuakhali, is now remarkable. During the Hilsa season, small and large vessels continuously head towards the sea. Seven or eight years ago, about eight hundred vessels would go fishing; now, that number has increased to nearly fifteen hundred.
Researchers say that while fishing capacity in the sea has increased rapidly, fish harvesting has not kept pace. Overfishing is a probable reason for the decline in Hilsa. However, other factors such as banned fine-mesh nets, siltation in rivers, pollution, changes in water flow, adverse weather, and the impact of climate change also need to be investigated.
At one time, Mohipur had no electricity. According to local businessmen, ice factories were gradually established after electricity arrived three decades ago. Opportunities for fish preservation and transport increased, leading to a boom in the fish business. Concurrently, the number of fishing vessels and fishermen also grew. Government data indicates that the number of mechanized small marine fishing vessels has increased by 51 percent in a decade. However, marine fish harvesting increased by only 23 percent during the same period.
The situation for Hilsa is even more concerning. Hilsa production in the country has decreased for two consecutive years. After a record harvest of 571,342 tons in the 2022-23 fiscal year, it dropped to 500,288 tons in the 2024-25 fiscal year. This means a decrease of 71,054 tons in two years. Almost all of this decline is attributed to reduced harvesting from the sea.
This change in Mohipur is not an isolated incident. Government statistics indicate a rapid increase in fishing vessels along the coast and in the sea. However, fish harvesting has not increased at the same rate as the number of vessels. The Department of Fisheries has identified this as a symptom of excessive fishing pressure and over-investment.
Government statistics indicate a rapid increase in fishing vessels along the coast and in the sea (File Photo). Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid told Prothom Alo that Hilsa production in the country has definitely decreased, and the government is aware of this. Determining the extent to which overfishing, mechanized vessels, environmental changes, or other factors are responsible for this decline is being investigated.
