Hilsa Shift: Gujarat's Bharuch Emerges as Key Fish Supplier

Your next plate of hilsa may well have its origins in Bharuch, Gujarat, rather than the usual fishing grounds of West Bengal or Bangladesh.

Record Production During Supply Shortage

According to ET, Bharuch has delivered a record 4,000 tonnes of hilsa across the country during July–August. This comes at a time when imports from Bangladesh have yet to begin this year and production in West Bengal has more than halved from a year earlier.

National Distribution Network

Fish from Bharuch's Narmada River, after migrating from the Arabian Sea, is being retailed in Kolkata and distributed further to Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru and Chennai.

Market Pricing and Sizes

Traders quoted by ET said that the larger-sized fish of around 1–1.2 kg dominate the supply, though smaller catches of 700–800 grams are also available. Prices range between Rs 1,200–1,400 per kg, with smaller fish selling at Rs 800–900 each.

Historical Significance

"This time around 4,000 tonnes of hilsa has arrived from Bharuch, which is the highest in the last many years," said Syed Anwar Maqsood, secretary of Howrah Wholesale Fish Market.

West Bengal's Decline and Alternative Sources

With West Bengal's production in sharp decline, falling from 260,000 tonnes in 2020, fish sellers said they had been relying on imports from Myanmar to meet demand. Tapan Karmakar, a trader at Kolkata's Gariahat market, noted that customers are now consuming hilsa from Bharuch "even though they do not know the sourcing point."

Supply Challenges

Overfishing of juveniles and brood fish in the Bay of Bengal, combined with weak enforcement, poorly designed fish passes at barrages, climate change and erratic monsoons, has worsened supply shortages.

Retail Market Dynamics

Sunil Singh, a trader in Gurugram's Sikandarpur market, said they are selling hilsa sourced from Kolkata at Rs 1,400–1,600 per kg.

Importers Seek Bangladesh Hilsa

Meanwhile, importers are lobbying for Bangladesh hilsa, prized for its Padma river variety. Maqsood, who is also secretary of the Fish Importers Association, said the body has written to Touhid Hossain, adviser to Bangladesh's foreign ministry, seeking permission for exports ahead of the festive season.

Export Challenges

"Even the exporters from Bangladesh are keen to send hilsa to India but the government needs to give permission," he said. Last year, Bangladesh permitted exports of 2,420 tonnes in September, but only 577 tonnes reached India due to the tight one-month export window. "It is difficult to import this huge quantity of fish within this span of time," Maqsood said.