Hilsa prices jump as govt gives export approval

Hilsa prices have surged in local markets following the interim government's approval for the export of over 12,000 tonnes of the national fish to India and the Middle East in recent days.

Traders say prices were already high this year due to a supply shortage. The export decision has pushed them up further, especially for large hilsa, by as much as Tk 600 per kilogramme (kg) at the wholesale level and Tk 200 at the retail level.

Monirul Islam, owner of Cox's Bazar Fish at Mohipur Fish Landing Centre in Kalapara, said on average, prices of export-quality hilsa, weighing over one kg, increased by Tk 500-Tk 600 after the export announcements.

"Prices of large hilsa increased to Tk 100,000-Tk 105,000 per maund (just over 37 kg) from Tk 80,000-Tk 85,000 in recent days," he said.

He added that traders from Barishal, Bhola, and Chandpur usually buy the larger fish here for export.

At the retail level, prices jumped by Tk 100-Tk 200.

"Before the export nod, 700-gramme hilsa sold for Tk 1,500 a kg. Prices have since risen to Tk 1,600-Tk 1,700. The 800-gramme variety has gone from Tk 1,700 to Tk 1,800," said Sukkur Ali, a fish trader at Karwan Bazar in Dhaka with 30 years' experience, told The Daily Star recently.

Barishal has also seen a jump, though not as high as Dhaka. Mohammad Arif, manager of Shakil Enterprise in Barishal, said the one-kg hilsa price rose from Tk 1,980 to Tk 2,210 after the announcement.

"Just a few days ago, 700-800 gramme hilsa was Tk 1,900. Now it's Tk 1,960," he also said, warning prices could rise by 50 percent once exports begin.

Speaking at an event recently, Farida Akhter, adviser to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, said the government was sending 1,200 tonnes of hilsa to India ahead of Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, following a request from the neighbouring country.

"The approval to send hilsa to India was granted as a gesture of religious courtesy and in response to a request. This quantity is less than half of that sent last year," the adviser said on Sunday amid reports that the export was being made "under pressure."

Akhter also disclosed that, in response to demands from expatriate Bangladeshis, approval was given to export 11,000 tonnes of hilsa to countries in the Middle East.

The announcements came amid falling hilsa harvests. Due to widespread killing of immature hilsa and other factors, including environmental pollution and climate change, catches this July and August dropped by 37 percent and 47 percent respectively compared to the same period last year.

Department of Fisheries data show national hilsa output rose from 2003 to 2023 but fell by 42,000 tonnes in 2024.

According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), year-on-year, large hilsa in Dhaka has become costlier by up to Tk 600.

On Monday, hilsa of varying sizes sold for Tk 900-Tk 2,200 per kg, compared with Tk 800-Tk 1,600 a year ago, the state agency reported. Prices have risen 10.71 percent in the past month and 29.17 percent over the past year. Compared with 2023, hilsa has become 33 percent costlier.

The Consumer Association of Bangladesh, citing newspaper reports, states that hilsa sold for Tk 417/kg in 2010, Tk 789 in 2019, and Tk 3,500 in 2025.

The commerce ministry has approved 37 organisations to make the approved export to India, according to a gazette notification yesterday.

The minimum export price of hilsa has been fixed at $12.5 (around Tk 1,500) per kg, still below current domestic market rates.

The government typically bans catching, transporting, selling, and storing hilsa from October 13 to November 3 to protect mother fish during peak breeding.

Fishermen say catches of large hilsa have been unusually low this monsoon. While some jatka are still caught, big fish are scarce.

"I've been catching hilsa since I was a kid. I used to return with boats full of big hilsa during the monsoon. This year, apart from some jatka, there are none," Shah Jalal, a fisherman from Kalapara, said.

Experts blame overfishing with small-mesh nets and mechanised gear, which trap fish of all sizes, killing them and depleting stocks.

Md Abu Kawser Didar, a scientific officer at the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute in Chandpur, points to climate change and erratic weather, which kept fishermen ashore since early July.

"Illegal nets with mesh sizes under the legal 6.5 centimetre (cm) are widely used. Field data show many immature hilsa just 23-25 cm being caught and sold, hampering spawning," he added.

He warned that premature harvesting now poses a greater threat than climate change.

(Our Barishal Correspondent Sushanta Ghosh contributed to this report)