The age-old Bengali identity of “fish and rice” is deeply rooted in the country’s rivers, once teeming with fish. The Padma in Rajshahi, in particular, was once renowned for its abundant aquatic life.
In the vast stretch of the river from Godagari to Charghat, fishermen's nets used to catch ‘Hilsa’, ‘Baghair’ and many other species of native fish. Especially in the Padma at Godagari, ‘Hilsa’ could once be found in huge shoals. They were also medium to large in size.
But that picture is now largely in the past. The flow and depth of water in the Padma have decreased, and chars (river islands/sandbars) and sand have increased.
The availability of fish in the river has also decreased at an alarming rate. Along with ‘Hilsa’, many species of native fish are now at verge of extinction. This has also affected the livelihood of river-dependent fishermen.
Experts opined that the natural environment for fish in the Padma has changed due to various reasons, including climate change, the impact of the Farakka Barrage, reduced water flow and depth in the river, shrinking breeding grounds, and the unplanned use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture.
Not only the reduced flow of river water, but also the unplanned use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on agricultural land has become a threat to native fish.
They also said that during the monsoon, water from these fields, ponds and ditches mixes with the river and has a negative impact on fish.
A recent on-site visit to the Railway Bazar, the fish wholesale market, and the banks of the Padma River in Godagari upazila showed that the presence of river fish is very low.
Although there are a few river fish, most of the fish are pond-cultivated Katla, Ruhi, Tilapia, Koi and Pabda. Fishermen display these fish in rows. Later, the owners of the wholesale market sell them to wholesalers.
As river fish has declined, many buyers who came from far and wide no longer come to buy fish as they used to. In the market, Pangas fish costs about Taka 400-800 per kg. Baghair is being sold at Taka 600 to 1020 per kg.
Last year, a huge Baghair fish weighing 71 kg was caught in the Padma at Godagari. The huge fish was caught in the nets of fishermen Hobi, Durul, Mannan and Khosh Mohammad at Harishankarpur Ghat in Godagari.
It is known to be the biggest fish in the area in the last few years. The 71 kg fish was sold at Taka 970 per kg. The fishermen earned Taka 68,870 by selling the fish.
Researchers say that as water in the Padma has decreased, its water current has also decreased. As a result, ‘Hilsa’ no longer migrates upstream from lower areas as it used to.
In particular, the arrival of ‘Hilsa’ has decreased due to reduced water depth in the river, damming, and increased filtration — that is, due to dredging, the amount of sand in the water has increased and the water has become turbid.
According to researchers, ‘Hilsa’ does not want to enter the river unless the water depth is 20 to 25 feet. The reduced depth and natural current of the Padma is obstructing the path of hilsa moving upstream.
River researcher Mahbub Siddiqui says, ‘Hilsa’ swims fast and likes to go upstream. This fish moves in shoals.
Even during the Pakistan period, ‘Hilsa’ used to travel upstream from the Bay of Bengal through Rajshahi to Bhagalpur in India and spawn. As the Farakka Barrage became operational, ‘Hilsa’ started declining in Rajshahi.
Mahbub Siddiqui says, due to the dam, the water flow in the Padma has decreased, so the current has also decreased. As a result, shoals of ‘Hilsa’ stopped crossing the Hardinge Bridge.
Even after the country became independent, sufficient ‘Hilsa’ was available in Rajshahi until 1974-75. However, the amount of ‘Hilsa’ in the Padma has been decreasing since the 80s.
According to information provided by researchers, before the Farakka Barrage was commissioned, from 1969 to 1974, water flowed in the Padma at 9,032 cubic meters per second.
After the barrage was commissioned, from 1975 to 2019, the water flow has come down to 5,146 cubic meters per second.
Researchers believe that this change in water has had a huge impact not only on ‘Hilsa’ but also on other native fish in the Padma.
According to the Department of Fisheries, in Rajshahi division, 507 tons of ‘Hilsa’ were harvested in fiscal year 2018-19, 735 tons in 2019-20, 741 tons in 2020-21, 581 tons in 2021-22, 600 tons in 2022-23, and 492 tons in 2023-24, and 473 tons in 2024-25.
Stakeholders believe that the amount of ‘Hilsa’ catch will decrease further in the latest fiscal year 2025-26.
Meanwhile, according to the Rajshahi District Office of the Department of Fisheries, ‘Hilsa’ is found in the Padma River in the Godagari, Paba, Charghat and Bagha areas of the district. Among them, the most is found in Charghat.
In September last year, 3,200 kg of ‘Hilsa’ was caught in Charghat. 2,830 kg was caught in August and 1,446 kg was caught in July. However, most of the ‘Hilsa’ are small in size. Five to six ‘Hilsa’ make one kg.
In Rajshahi district, 5.37 tons of ‘Hilsa’ were caught in four upazilas between July and September last year. While 28.55 tons of ‘Hilsa’ were caught in the fiscal year 2016-17, the catch started declining from the next year.
In just eight years, the ‘Hilsa’ catch in Rajshahi has decreased at an alarming level.
Rajshahi District Fisheries Officer Jahangir Alam said ‘Hilsa’ is a fish that roams both in the sea and in the river. ‘Hilsa’ needs to live in the sea to reach maturity. And the fish comes to the river to lay eggs.
He said ‘Hilsa’ cannot lay eggs in the salty water of the sea. Even if it lays eggs, they get spoiled. For this, fresh water is needed. If eggs are laid in freshwater, they do not get spoiled.
Also, the further upstream it goes, the higher the rate of getting ‘Hilsa’ from eggs. As a result, if there is not enough water and natural current in the river, there is a risk that ‘Hilsa’ breeding and movement will be hampered.
A survey conducted from 2007 to 2017 found that out of 77 native fish species in the Padma, three species are critically endangered, 10 species are endangered, nine species are critically endangered, and nine more species are almost endangered.
60 percent of the fish species lost from the Padma are now threatened with extinction. That is, due to reduced river water, shrinking habitats, food shortages, destruction of breeding grounds and changes in the river's natural environment, native fish species are becoming at risk one after another.
Fisherman Hobi, Durul of Matikata Union of Godagari Upazila said, although they have been involved in this profession since the time of our forefathers, it is no longer viable.
He said, “I have been fishing in the Padma since childhood. Where I used to get several maunds of fish before, now it has come down to kgs.
As a result, I am unable to run my family. Maybe soon I will have to leave this profession and do something else.” Many have already left fishing profession and are working as agricultural laborers, he added.
According to the Department of Fisheries, Rajshahi district, 1,620 tons of native fish were harvested from the Padma River in the fiscal year 2024-25, 1,850 tons in 2023-24.
In fiscal year 2022-23 it was 2,040 tons, in 2021-22 it was 2,152 tons, in 2020-21 it was 2,221 tons and in 2019-20 it was 2,283 tons. That is, the catch of native fish is decreasing every year.
In the last five years, fish catch has decreased by 433 tons.