Barishal fishermen flood markets with jatka ahead of hilsa ban

Fishermen are catching large quantities of jatka (premature hilsa, below 23 cm in length) before the government-mandated fishing ban begins 13 October, flooding the fish markets in Barishal with hundreds of tonnes.

The rampant jatka fishing is causing concerns about the future of hilsa stocks.

Starting tomorrow, all types of fishing activities will be banned for 22 days across Bangladesh to support the breeding and conservation of hilsa.

The ban, which will run until 3 November, is aimed at ensuring the sustainable breeding, production, and conservation of hilsa.

A recent visit to Barishal's main fish landing and wholesale centre on Port Road revealed that two-thirds of the fish being sold were jatka.

Wholesaler Badsha said that the market has been overwhelmed with premature hilsa over the past few days.

"For the last five or six days, the entire market has been filled with jatka. Fishermen are not able to go to sea due to bad weather. So all the fish in the market now are from the rivers. If 100 tonnes of fish are caught, 90 tonnes are jatka. If we do not allow the jatka to grow, we may face a crisis of hilsa in the next season," he said.

The overuse of gillnets, which trap all sizes of fish, is intensifying the problem, according to local fishermen.

"Everyone is using tightly woven gillnets now, which catch both small and large fish. If the authorities had conducted raids and removed these nets, fewer jatka would have been caught. The amount of jatka being killed this year means we will struggle for hilsa next time," said Mohammad Ali, a fisherman from Kuchaipati union in Hijla upazila.

Kabir Hossain, another businessman, said, "Fishermen are not getting larger hilsa, so they are fishing for jatka. People are buying jatka at Tk500-600 per kilogram, but the long-term impact could be devastating. We are damaging the future hilsa stocks."

Salim Howladar, a local fish trader, believes the situation is worsening because of premature egg releases.

"Fishermen report that jatka are coming up in flocks when they cast their nets. It seems that hilsa eggs were released earlier this year than the government expected, which is why there are so many jatka available. But if we continue to catch them, both buyers and sellers will suffer when hilsa stocks decline," he said.

Some buyers have also expressed concern over the future availability of large hilsa.

"If the jatka were not killed, we could enjoy larger hilsa in the future. Hilsa does not release eggs at the same time every year, and scientists should be more vigilant about understanding when hatching occurs based on environmental and weather conditions," said Sagar Akon, a customer at Port Road fish market.

Barishal District Fisheries Officer (Hilsa) Bimal Chandra Das acknowledged the issue, stating that large fish are less available this year.

"Fishermen are catching whatever they can to meet the season's demand, including both big and small fish, which will definitely have negative consequences," he said.

He also stressed the need for year-round enforcement to prevent the indiscriminate catching of jatka. "We have informed the ministry that this issue needs attention throughout the year, not just during fixed periods of conservation."

In fiscal year 2022-23, Bangladesh produced 572,342 tonnes of hilsa, with 372,343 tonnes coming from Barishal division, accounting for over 65% of the country's total production. Protecting jatka is crucial to ensuring that future hilsa seasons remain productive and sustainable.