Knowledge Nugget | India now exporter of Hilsa (ilish): What is it and why it matters
Why is Hilsa now trading in the opposite direction—from India to Bangladesh? What makes this anadromous fish so special, and what does the shift reveal about changing production and demand? Here’s all you need to know.
Currently, Bangladesh has paused Hilsa exports to India. (Image: AI Generated)
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Knowledge Nugget: Hilsa
Subject: International affairs and Environment
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Why in the news?
In a role reversal of sorts, India is exporting Hilsa fish to Bangladesh, bucking the trend of the neighbour supplying the sought-after variety of fish that has the highest place of pride on Bengal’s dining tables. In this backdrop, let’s know about the Hilsa fish and its significance.
Key Takeaways:
1. Hilsa, known as Ilish in Bengali, is rich in nutrition and popular in West Bengal, where it is designated as the state fish. Mostly found in the Hooghly-Bhagirathi river system and in the Bay of Bengal, Hilsa is an anadromousfish — that is, it migrates from the ocean to rivers for spawning.
2. Shoals of males and females of the species migrate twice a year for breeding in rivers — mid-February to April and September-October.
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3. There are two varieties of hilsa in the Bay of Bengal – Tenualosa ilisha and Tenualosa toli ilish.
4. Hilsa fish is a sentiment for Bengalis. For Bangladeshis, Hilsa is the national fish. Although the fish get caught in the fishermen’s net round the year, monsoon is the peak season when the number multiplies. Bengalis from both West Bengal in India and Bangladesh wait for this season.
5. Bengal celebrates Ilish Utsab every year, a festival dedicated solely to Hilsa. Restaurants and households prepare diverse Hilsa dishes, turning the humble fish into a culinary star.
6. Hilsa is often gifted during weddings or festivals as a token of love and prosperity. In traditional rituals, a pair of Hilsa fish (Joda Ilish) symbolizes harmony and good fortune for married couples.
Why is India exporting Hilsa fish to Bangladesh?
7. Around 500 tonnes of Hilsa have been sent to Bangladesh in the past two months through the Petrapole land port on the international border in West Bengal. Traders expect an additional 150 to 200 tonnes of Hilsa to be exported to Bangladesh in the coming weeks.
8. Traditionally, Hilsa is brought in from Bangladesh when its government allows its import, generally during the Durga Puja festive season. Currently, Bangladesh has paused Hilsa exports to India.
“This is the first time Hilsa from our country is being exported to Bangladesh. It is a welcome development. Most of the catch is from Gujarat,” said Syed Anwar Maqsood, secretary of the Fish Importers Association in Bengal and the Howrah wholesale fish market.
INTERACTIVE · TAP TO COMPARE
🐟 Hilsa: A Trade Reversed
🇧🇩
Bangladesh
→
🐟
🇮🇳
India
The Restricted Window
2012
Year Hilsa imports from Bangladesh were first restricted
1 month
Import window permitted since 2019 — only during Durga Puja
Permitted vs. Actual
Sept 2024
2,420 tonnes permitted → only 577 tonnes actually imported
Sept 2025
1,200 tonnes permitted → only 150 tonnes actually imported
"The Bangladesh government gives permission for a certain quantity. But since the window is small, the imported quantity is very low... This does not work out."
— Syed Anwar Maqsood, Secretary, Fish Importers Association, Bengal
🇮🇳
India
→
🐟
🇧🇩
Bangladesh
The First-Ever Reversal
~500 t
Hilsa exported to Bangladesh in the past two months, via Petrapole
150–200 t
Additional volume traders expect in the coming weeks
Where It's Coming From, Where It Goes
Source
Largely Gujarat's Bharuch region, routed via Howrah fish market
Demand
High-roe Hilsa sought after in Chattogram, Sylhet and other districts
Processing
Roe extracted and re-exported; remaining fish salted and dried locally
"This is the first time Hilsa from our country is being exported to Bangladesh. It is a welcome development. Most of the catch is from Gujarat."
— Syed Anwar Maqsood, Secretary, Fish Importers Association, Bengal
The Bigger Picture
Experts see this as more than a one-off trade flow. Pradip Dey, director of the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, called it "a strong market signal" — an opportunity for West Bengal to build a science-based, value-added Hilsa economy through better stock management, processing, and market linkages.
The shift follows sustained diplomatic effort: a Fish Importers Association delegation visited Dhaka in August, meeting Bangladesh's Commerce Secretary Ataur Rehman Khan, and the Association has separately written to Bangladesh's Prime Minister urging the import ban be lifted.
Note: Trade volumes and permitted-vs-actual figures are as reported by fish trade sources cited in the source article.
9. According to fish traders and exporters, the development reflects changing patterns of production, availability and consumer demand in the two neighbouring countries.
10. A substantial portion of the Hilsa consignment is from Gujarat, particularly the Bharuch region, and some supplies have moved through the Howrah fish market in Bengal.
BEYOND THE NUGGET: PM Matsya Sampada Yojana
1. Recently, ‘Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)’ completed 6 years. It was launched on 10th September, 2020 to bring ‘Blue Revolution’ through sustainable and responsible development of fisheries sector in India. It focuses on the ecologically healthy, economically viable, and socially inclusive development of the Fisheries sector of India.
2. The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India is implementing PMMSY.
3. It is designed to address critical gaps in the fisheries value chain from fish production, productivity and quality to technology, post-harvest infrastructure and marketing. It aims to modernize and strengthen the value chain, enhance traceability and establish a robust fisheries management framework while simultaneously ensuring the socio-economic welfare of fishers and fish farmers.
What is Aquaculture?
Aquaculture can be simply put as the controlled process of cultivating aquatic organisms, especially meant for human consumption. According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, “The farming of aquatic organisms including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Farming implies some sort of intervention in the rearing process to enhance production, such as regular stocking, feeding, protection from predators, etc.”
4. PMMSY provides support for various fishing activities, including the development of fishing harbors and fish landing centers to ensure the safe docking and berthing of fishing boats and vessels, as well as the efficient handling of post-harvest operations. Additionally, it promotes the establishment of ornamental fish-rearing units, fish retail markets, and fish kiosks.
5. The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY) is a central sector sub-scheme under the PMMSY for the formalisation of the fisheries sector and supporting fisheries micro and small enterprises.
Post Read Question
Consider the following statements regarding Hilsa:
1. It is an anadromous fish that migrates from the ocean to rivers for spawning.
2. It is a state fish of West Bengal.
3. The peak breeding migration of Hilsa occurs only during the monsoon season.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Currently, Bangladesh has paused Hilsa exports to India. (Image: AI Generated) 
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