Indian hilsa enters via illegal routes despite import ban: Fisheries body

Highlights:

• BMFA claims 74 tonnes allegedly enter through waterways
• Alleges hilsa entering through Sundarbans coastal areas
• Coast Guard says it detects no recent illegal hilsa entry
• Tk500/kg Indian hilsa allegedly sells for Tk2,000-Tk3,000 as Padma hilsa
• 535 tonnes of Indian hilsa imported before NOC cancellation 

Indian hilsa is still entering Bangladesh through unofficial channels despite the government’s decision to halt imports from India, the Bangladesh Marine Fisheries Association has claimed.

However, the Coast Guard says it has not detected any recent illegal entry.

The Department of Fisheries suspended Indian hilsa imports on 23 September by cancelling 103 no-objection certificates (NOCs), halting a trade that had brought 535 tonnes of hilsa into Bangladesh through Benapole as of 22 September.

Sheikh Abid Hussain, secretary of the association, claimed that around 74 tonnes of hilsa entered Bangladesh through the Hariabhanga River, a border waterway of the Sundarbans near Vetkhali on 23 September, after the NOCs were cancelled.

He said the fish was subsequently distributed to markets and landing centres in Kuakata, Alipur, Mohipur, Patharghata, Bhola, Char Fasson, Chandpur and Chattogram, as well as Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar.

According to Abid, the fish entered Bangladesh along with other consignments after the government stopped issuing permissions specifically for hilsa.

However, Lt Commander Sabbir Alam Suzan, media officer of the Bangladesh Coast Guard, said the force had not received any information about recent illegal entry of Indian hilsa.

He also said the Coast Guard was unaware of the association’s claim that hilsa had entered illegally through the Sundarbans or coastal waterways.

Following the import suspension, the Coast Guard has strengthened patrols, surveillance and operations in coastal and border areas, including special monitoring of border rivers and waterways and drone surveillance in remote and strategically important areas, he said.

The alleged unofficial supply comes amid concerns that imported Indian hilsa is being sold as Padma hilsa at much higher prices.

Industry sources said imported hilsa costing around Tk500 per kilogram had allegedly been sold in local markets as Padma hilsa for Tk2,000-Tk3,000 per kilogram.

Consumers have also complained about being misled over the origin of the fish.

Tauhidul Alam, a Dhaka resident, said consumers familiar with hilsa could often distinguish Padma hilsa by its appearance and taste, but ordinary buyers could be misled by how sellers present the fish.

Lutfor Rahman, a retired government employee who bought Indian hilsa from a Chattogram market, said its taste was noticeably different from that of Padma hilsa.

Sajeed Bin Sulaiman, director of maritime and shipping services company Sea Force Alliance Limited, said he had no independent information confirming the alleged illegal shipments.

However, he said price differences between Gujarat and Bangladesh could theoretically create an incentive for unofficial trade if the fish fetched higher prices in Bangladesh.

The government had approved an import quantity of 1,739.50 tonnes of hilsa for the current fiscal year; however, it later cancelled the NOCs amid concerns over the pricing and marketing of imported hilsa, including allegations that Indian fish was being sold as Padma hilsa.

While the association points to informal channels sustaining the local hilsa supply despite the official import ban, maritime authorities maintain that heightened border security has prevented any illegal shipments from crossing.