The order was issued in late September by the Bangladesh government when the Hilsa catch dwindled and the quality too suffered.
For the Hilsa lovers, which is a gastronomic delight for them, prices did not fall much as the availability was less. Prices of Hilsa which were expected to halve, have fallen by only 10-15% to ₹1700 per kg.
Syed Anwar Maqsood, secretary at the Fish Importer’s Association, said, “Hilsa fish catch happens every day in Bangladesh but volume varies. In the period in which we were supposed to import, the catch was very poor. So the quantities were less.”
“It takes at least a month and a half to bring the entire quantity of Hilsa fish from Bangladesh. But the time was very short this year as the new government in Bangladesh had banned exports of Hilsa,” he said.
Maqsood said that since the Bangladesh government had issued the export order at the end of the Hilsa season, they did not ask for an extension. “We are going to meet the officials of the present Bangladesh government in November to revoke the ban on Hilsa exports that was imposed in 2012.” Bangladesh government issued an order in the last week of September for exports of 2,420 tonnes to India. 48 companies from Bangladesh would each export 50 tonnes of Hilsa to India, while another company would export 20 tonnes, the order had said. The order was issued on September 25 and the time was given till October 10. Since 2012 Bangladesh has not been exporting Hilsa so that their own demand is met and small-sized Hilsa are not caught and sold in the market. But ahead of the festive season India, Sheikh Hasina’s government would send Hilsa to India as a “gift”. The Hilsa would into West Bengal from Bangladesh through the Petrapole border via Bongaon and then would be supplied to different parts of the country, where Hilsa has a demand.
Last year, ahead of the Durga Puja, the Sheikh Hasina government had given permission to Bangladeshi traders to sell nearly 3,950 metric tonnes of the special Padma Hilsa to India.
Hilsa is a deep marine fish but moves towards the estuary in search of ‘sweet water’ to lay eggs. As the Hilsa loves sweet water, heavy rainfall in its breeding sites helps produce better fish.