Fishing vessels increase at sea, hilsa catches decline

Fishing activity at the Mahipur fishing port in Kalapara, Patuakhali, is now particularly noticeable. During the hilsa season, small and large vessels head towards the sea one after another. Seven or eight years ago, around 800 vessels would go fishing, but the number has now increased to about 1,500.

At one time, Mahipur did not even have electricity. According to local traders, ice factories began to be established one after another after electricity arrived three decades ago. Opportunities to preserve and transport fish increased. The fish trade expanded. Alongside this, the number of vessels and fishermen also increased.

But while fishing capacity at sea has increased rapidly, fish catches have not increased at the same rate. According to government data, the number of mechanised small vessels fishing in the sea has increased by 51 per cent over a decade. Yet during the same period, fish catches from the sea increased by 23 per cent.

The picture is even more concerning in the case of hilsa. Hilsa production in the country has declined for two consecutive years. After a record 571,342 tonnes of hilsa were caught in fiscal year 2022–23, the figure fell to 500,288 tonnes in fiscal year 2024–25. In other words, it declined by 71,054 tonnes over two years. Almost the entire decline came from a reduction in catches from the sea.

The changes in Mahipur are not an isolated incident. Government statistics show that fishing vessels in coastal waters and the sea have increased rapidly. But fish catches have not increased at the same rate as the number of vessels. The Department of Fisheries has identified this as a sign of excessive fishing pressure and investment beyond what is necessary.

Researchers say overfishing is a possible reason for the decline in hilsa. However, the impact of prohibited fine-mesh nets, siltation in rivers, pollution, changes in water flow, adverse weather and climate change also needs to be examined.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid told Prothom Alo that the country’s hilsa production has certainly declined, and the government is aware of this. Efforts are underway to determine to what extent overfishing, mechanised vessels, environmental changes or other factors are responsible.

According to the Department of Fisheries’ Bangladesh Marine Fisheries Management Plan: Part-II—Artisanal, there were 21,726 mechanised small fishing vessels in the country in fiscal year 2010–11. The number increased to 32,859 in fiscal year 2019–20. In other words, the number of mechanised vessels increased by 11,133, or 51 per cent, in about a decade. During the same period, the number of small vessels, both mechanised and non-mechanised, increased from 45,525 to 67,889.

But fish catches did not increase at the same rate. In fiscal year 2010–11, 546,283 tonnes of all types of fish were caught from the sea. In fiscal year 2019–20, the figure increased to 671,104 tonnes. In other words, while the fleet increased by 51 per cent, fish catches increased by 23 per cent.

The Department of Fisheries’ plan says that although the fleet increased by an average of 5.7 per cent annually, fish catches increased by an average of 2.5 per cent. After fiscal year 2013–14, growth in fish catches became largely stagnant.

It is not only the number of vessels that has increased; their capacity to locate and catch fish has also grown. Many vessels now use sonar, echo sounders and fish-finding technology. These devices can provide information about the location, depth and density of schools of fish underwater.

According to hilsa researcher Anisur Rahman, the use of these technologies and highly effective nets without proper control is increasing pressure on fish. He told Prothom Alo, “The fishermen on modern vessels can understand in which area underwater a school of hilsa is moving and in which direction. Nets are cast along that path. The fish are caught in large numbers. If fish are caught this way, will there be any left to spawn or reproduce the following year?”

However, the problem is not simply the use of technology. According to researchers, the problem is the lack of effective control and monitoring over where, when, with what type of nets and how much fish are being caught.

According to the Department of Fisheries, a record 571,342 tonnes of hilsa were caught in the country in fiscal year 2022–23. Production then declined for two consecutive years. Hilsa catches fell to 529,487 tonnes in fiscal year 2023–24. In fiscal year 2024–25, the figure fell further to 500,288 tonnes. Over the two years, hilsa catches declined by 71,054 tonnes, or 12.4 per cent.

The decline has been greatest in the sea. In fiscal year 2021–22, 322,000 tonnes of hilsa were caught from the sea. In fiscal year 2024–25, the figure fell to 251,000 tonnes. In three years, marine hilsa catches declined by about 71,000 tonnes, or 22 per cent.

On the other hand, hilsa catches from rivers and other inland water bodies did not decline. In fiscal year 2021–22, 245,000 tonnes of hilsa were obtained from inland sources. In fiscal year 2024–25, the figure was 249,000 tonnes. In other words, almost the entire recent decline in hilsa catches has come from a fall in catches from the sea.

Small and medium-sized, or artisanal, vessels account for the largest share of hilsa catches at sea. According to the Department of Fisheries, a total of 313,593 tonnes of hilsa were caught from the sea in fiscal year 2020–21. Of this, small and medium-sized vessels caught 305,812 tonnes. Industrial trawlers caught 7,781 tonnes. In other words, small and medium-sized vessels caught about 97.5 per cent of the marine hilsa that year.

Didar Uddin Ahmed Masum, president of the Mahipur Fisheries Port Traders’ Association, told Prothom Alo that around 1,500 small and large vessels go fishing from this port during the hilsa season. Seven or eight years ago, the number was no more than 800.

However, the impact of industrial trawlers cannot be ignored either. Owners of small vessels blame large trawlers operating in the deep sea. On the other hand, owners of industrial trawlers identify the catching of jatka and egg-bearing hilsa in rivers and estuaries as a major problem.

The Bangladesh Marine Fisheries Association is an organisation of industrial trawlers and companies engaged in marine fish and shrimp harvesting. Its president, Enam Chowdhury, said hilsa has been found in very small numbers in the deep sea since 2023. Jatka are being caught in rivers and estuaries. Hilsa move between rivers and the sea, and fish are being caught along their migration routes.

Regarding the increase in the number of industrial trawlers equipped with advanced technology, Enam Chowdhury said, “The number of vessels has increased significantly, and there is no way to deny that. The government monitors the nets we use. However, it is also true that some people violate the rules.”

The presence of large mature female hilsa capable of breeding is an important indicator of future hilsa production. This season, several teams from the Chandpur River Centre of the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute collected data from nine fish landing centres across the country to determine the size, number and reproductive condition of hilsa. The data was collected from 1 to 15 September.

Tayfa Ahmed, chief scientific officer of the institute, told Prothom Alo that hilsa were found to be smaller in number and size in almost all the areas visited by the teams. Previously, eggs were found in 45 to 49 per cent of the hilsa caught during this period. This year, the rate was found to be between 9 and 25 per cent at different ports. She said the presence of large egg-bearing hilsa has declined everywhere. This is the most concerning issue, she added.