Inland Fisheries

5.2.2.4 Status of Hilsa fishing in Hooghly – Matlah estuary

Hilsa fish, Tenualosa lisha, a remarkable fish of Hooghly estuary. It deserves importance because of its unique taste, popular preference and high market price. It ranks as the prime fish and commercially it constitutes the most important fishery of the ecosystem. During monsoon (July to October) period hilsa catch contributes to the bulk (about two third) of the total annual landing of the species from this estuary. The hilsa fishery in winter, however, is of a smaller magnitude. Wide fluctuations in hilsa catch in Hooghly estuary has an interesting characteristic. Available information depicts that the harvested yield of the upper portion of the estuary is in a declining trend. Hilsa, the most important anadromous specific attention in studies as the fish migrates during monsoon from sea to the riverine water bodies. Human use of river systems has intensified considerably in the last century due to increasing population and the associated higher demand for water through industrial and agricultural technologies. The upper stretch of Hooghly estuary is greatly involved with earnings of the fishermen residing nearby river side. Fall in hilsa catch has deprived the fishermen from availing of hilsa catches at least from the upper stretch of the estuary due to indiscriminate killing of juveniles.  Hilsa juveniles (fry and fingerlings) constitute a substantial part of hilsa catch from the upper freshwater stretch. Young hilsa, which start their downward migration, are trapped by small meshed nets.