Hilsa fishing banned for 22 days from Oct 8

Hilsa fishing will be banned nationwide for 22 days, from October 8 to 29, to protect the fish during its peak spawning season.

The decision was taken yesterday at a meeting of the National Taskforce Committee on Hilsa Resource Development at the Secretariat in Dhaka to finalise the ban period and implement the Mother Hilsa Conservation Campaign 2026, according to a press release.

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Fisheries, Livestock and Agriculture Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid said no compromise would be made in protecting mother hilsa and called for intensified monitoring of major breeding grounds, including Barishal, Chandpur and Bhola.

He said district administrations, the Bangladesh Coast Guard and the fisheries department must work together to strictly enforce the ban. Additional vessels and logistical support would be deployed to hotspots if needed.

State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku said research should identify the reasons for the decline in hilsa production, while stressing the need to curb the production and sale of banned fishing nets.

During the ban, the catching, transportation, storage, marketing, buying and selling of hilsa will be prohibited nationwide. The government will provide VGF food assistance to fishermen who refrain from fishing during the period.

The ban comes at a time when hilsa production has declined after rising steadily for two decades. Water pollution, siltation of rivers and overfishing have been cited as major factors behind the decline. Pollution from power plants near hilsa sanctuaries has also raised concerns.

In fiscal year 2024-25, hilsa production stood at 5 lakh tonnes, down 5.5 percent year-on-year, according to Department of Fisheries data. Bangladesh accounts for around 80 percent of global hilsa production and nearly 7 lakh fishermen are directly engaged in hilsa fishing.

Hilsa, the national fish of Bangladesh, received geographical indication (GI) recognition as a product of Bangladesh in 2017. The fish migrates from the sea to rivers to spawn.