Hilsa fishery research in Bangladesh

• Fisheries Research Institute, Bangladesh

Hilsa, a tuna-like fish, is of great importance to the economies of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar. In Bangladesh, Hilsa make up a quarter of the fish in the diet of most of the population, and also provides direct or indirect employment for between 2 and 12 million people, however, the usual catch of 200 000 tonnes per year has not increased despite efforts to increase the catch. It is important that fish remains a cheap and plentiful source of protein in Bangladesh.

The Hilsa live in the shallow coastal waters of the Bay of Bengal, and in the local estuaries and rivers. The marine fish move inland into rivers to spawn during July to September, and during March and April. The freshwater populations do not appear to move about much.

This ACIAR project aims to identify the whole life-cycle of the Hilsa, so that a management plan can be drawn up and put into practice as soon as possible.
Effective management could protect the spawning fish and the juveniles, locally known as Jakta, to preserve the fishery in the long term. However, Jakta are fished by some of the poorest people in Bangladesh and protecting the fish could deprive people of protein or livelihood. Effective management needs more information on which to base new policies, as well as trained personnel to monitor policy, and supply data for future management plans.

During this ACIAR project, researchers from CSIRO Fisheries and from the Fisheries Research Institute (FRI) in Bangladesh hope to supply the missing information, while training Bangladeshi staff. Using existing records, if adequate, and by monitoring fish movements via detailed sampling the researchers hope to learn where and when different age groups and sub-populations of Hilsa are caught, and by what equipment, and the influences of rainfall and of conditions in river and estuary. Breeding grounds and habitats should be identified. Molecular biological techniques and histological studies of sampled fish should clarify the species life-cycle and spawning frequency.
This project includes a socio-economic study of the people of Bangladesh. It will analyse the population to identify those groups that depend, directly or indirectly, on aspects of the Hilsa fishery. It will ask what other sources of income might be available to them should the fishery be restricted to preserve its long-term health.