<p>The adult hilsa requires a minimum spawning stock (fish mature enough to release eggs) of 32 to 33 percent for the conservation of the species; the stocks off the coast of West Bengal, which now hover around 27 to 28 percent need to improve urgently.</p>.<p>“If appropriate measures aren't taken now, then it (hilsa) would go extinct after sometime,” Debasis De, Principal Scientist and Officer-in-Charge of Central Institute of Brackish Aquaculture's Kakdwip Research Centre, in South 24 Paraganas district, West Bengal told DH.</p>.<p>The Hilsa, which is relished by Bengalis both in West Bengal and Bangladesh, is struggling for survival due to excessive harvesting, especially by large mechanised trawlers. </p>.<p>The state government figures show that the hilsa catch in Bengal has been on a downward trend and dropped from 80,000 tonnes in 2001 to 26,000 tonnes in 2017 — a decline of 67%.</p>.<p>A 2018 study, published by the National Academy of Sciences, India found that between 2002 and 2015, the number of boats engaged in fishing the hilsa increased by 25% but the net catch in the period actually decreased by 13%. The maximum sustainable yield for hilsa is estimated to be 25,440 tonnes per year,<span class="bold"><strong> </strong></span>with 3,987 boats deployed to catch the fish. </p>.<p>“It can be inferred that the hilsa fishery in the North Bay of Bengal is being unsustainably exploited,” stated the research paper. </p>.<p>The data assumes significance as estimates by the International Water Association states that nearly 70% of the revenue from fishing in West Bengal comes from hilsa. About 25,000 fishermen in West Bengal are dependent on hilsa for their livelihood.</p>.<p>To top it off, the hilsa catch this year has taken a hit, contrary to expectations of a good haul following the lockdown. “The catch of big trawler owners in the state who usually sell about Rs 50 lakh worth hilsa has also decreased,” said S K Dubey, an independent researcher and scientist. </p>.<p>However, West Bengal Fisheries Minister Chandra Nath Sinha said that the low catch this year can be attributed to the nationwide lockdown and bad weather.</p>
<p>The adult hilsa requires a minimum spawning stock (fish mature enough to release eggs) of 32 to 33 percent for the conservation of the species; the stocks off the coast of West Bengal, which now hover around 27 to 28 percent need to improve urgently.</p>.<p>“If appropriate measures aren't taken now, then it (hilsa) would go extinct after sometime,” Debasis De, Principal Scientist and Officer-in-Charge of Central Institute of Brackish Aquaculture's Kakdwip Research Centre, in South 24 Paraganas district, West Bengal told DH.</p>.<p>The Hilsa, which is relished by Bengalis both in West Bengal and Bangladesh, is struggling for survival due to excessive harvesting, especially by large mechanised trawlers. </p>.<p>The state government figures show that the hilsa catch in Bengal has been on a downward trend and dropped from 80,000 tonnes in 2001 to 26,000 tonnes in 2017 — a decline of 67%.</p>.<p>A 2018 study, published by the National Academy of Sciences, India found that between 2002 and 2015, the number of boats engaged in fishing the hilsa increased by 25% but the net catch in the period actually decreased by 13%. The maximum sustainable yield for hilsa is estimated to be 25,440 tonnes per year,<span class="bold"><strong> </strong></span>with 3,987 boats deployed to catch the fish. </p>.<p>“It can be inferred that the hilsa fishery in the North Bay of Bengal is being unsustainably exploited,” stated the research paper. </p>.<p>The data assumes significance as estimates by the International Water Association states that nearly 70% of the revenue from fishing in West Bengal comes from hilsa. About 25,000 fishermen in West Bengal are dependent on hilsa for their livelihood.</p>.<p>To top it off, the hilsa catch this year has taken a hit, contrary to expectations of a good haul following the lockdown. “The catch of big trawler owners in the state who usually sell about Rs 50 lakh worth hilsa has also decreased,” said S K Dubey, an independent researcher and scientist. </p>.<p>However, West Bengal Fisheries Minister Chandra Nath Sinha said that the low catch this year can be attributed to the nationwide lockdown and bad weather.</p>
