Everyone could enjoy having hilsa this time

For Bengalis, there's nothing quite like hilsa. The sorrow of not being able to eat hilsa during its season lingers throughout the year. Even though hilsa is available throughout the year now, it comes at a higher price. Therefore, many cannot afford to buy hilsa outside of its season. According to reports, fishermen have been granted permission to catch hilsa again starting last Wednesday (May 1st) after a two-month ban.

After the ban was lifted, fishermen quickly set up nets. However, several fishermen have expressed frustration at not finding the expected quantity of hilsa. Fisheries officials, in response to this criticism, explain that hilsa availability depends on the lunar cycle and rainfall. As a result, changes in conditions can occur within a day or two of the new moon and rain.

The weather office has also expressed hope, stating that rain is expected within a day or two. Furthermore, if rain coincides with the onset of the next new moon, it is hoped that the nets of fishermen will be filled with silver hilsa. The Fisheries Department is hopeful that this year's hilsa production will reach 6 million tons. However, if sufficient hilsa is not available, just as people won't be able to enjoy hilsa, fishermen will also suffer losses.

If sufficient hilsa is not available, the expenses of many trawlers in the districts do not get covered. It has been observed that the owners of large trawlers take them to numerous rivers with large nets, while the poorer fishermen use their small boats, navigating and remaining in the same place. Hilsa is delicious to eat, but its politics are harsh. Some aspects of this have been depicted by Manik Bandopadhyay in his famous novel 'Padma Nodir Majhi'.

In the world, 80% of hilsa production occurs in Bangladesh. Hilsa fish contributes to about 12% of the country's total fish production. Annual production is approximately 3.46 million tons, with a market value of over 10 thousand crore taka. Hilsa's contribution to GDP is around 1%. Beyond these economic and political calculations, ensuring sufficient hilsa reaches the plates of Bangladeshis is our goal. And the fishermen who risked their lives to catch fish in the turbulent rivers and seas and deliver them to people's homes, may their faces be illuminated with smiles.