The famous silver hilsa from the Panguchi and Baleshwar rivers, adjacent to the Sundarbans, has become out of reach for many low- and middle-income consumers due to dwindling supply and soaring prices.
Historically, the Bengali months of Ashar and Shraban saw bustling fish markets in Bagerhat's Morrelganj and Sarankhola upazilas, where buyers carried home fresh hilsa tied with banana leaf ropes. Today, that traditional scene has largely disappeared from the coastal region.
Known for its distinctive taste, aroma, high oil content and wide belly, hilsa from these rivers is often compared to the famous Padma hilsa. It attracts buyers from Dhaka, Khulna and other parts of the country to markets in Sarankhola, Morrelganj and Kachua, with many sending fresh, ice-free fish to relatives.
However, a visit to the Rayenda Fish Market in Sarankhola and Signboard Bazar in Kachua found that even the smallest jatka (juvenile hilsa) was selling for Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,200 per kg. Medium and large hilsa were selling for Tk 3,000 to Tk 4,000 per kg.
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Photo: Partha Chakrabortty
"Hilsa rarely comes to the market now," said Asma Akter, a local homemaker. "Whatever is available is priced so high that it is impossible for ordinary families to buy."
Hasib Khan, a local resident, echoed her sentiment.
"We are struggling to manage daily expenses. Buying hilsa for several thousand taka is now like a dream," he said.
Fishermen are also facing hard times. Monir Hossain, a fisherman from the Rayenda embankment area, said the Baleshwar river was once teeming with hilsa, but they now often return empty-handed. He noted, however, that some larger fish, weighing between 800 grams and 1.5 to 2 kg, have recently started appearing in their nets.
Bellal Hossain, a trader at Rayenda Fish Market, said low supply in both the rivers and the sea had driven up wholesale prices, forcing traders to buy large hilsa from fishermen for Tk 3,000 to Tk 4,000.
Another fish trader, Sohag, said the emotional connection to hilsa remained strong despite the high prices.
"Wealthy buyers, government employees, and businesses are now the primary customers," he said.
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Photo: Partha Chakrabortty
Addressing the decline in production, Md Abul Hossain, president of the Sarankhola Upazila Fishermen's Association, blamed illegal enclosures in rivers, the use of destructive bendijal (fine-mesh) nets to catch jatka, overfishing with modern technology, and natural disasters.
However, fisheries officials view the crisis as temporary. Morrelganj Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Binoy Kumar Roy said there was sufficient hilsa in the sea and the Panguchi-Baleshwar rivers.
"The supply will increase once the peak season begins in Bhadra-Ashwin," Binoy Kumar said, adding that the current high prices and low catches were typical of the pre-season period.
He added that adequate rainfall had created a favourable environment, prompting shoals of hilsa to enter the rivers from the sea.
For now, consumers in the coastal region can only hope that increased supply during the upcoming peak season will bring down prices and return the popular fish to their dining tables.
