Farmers in Jessore District, in the southwestern region of Bangladesh, are demanding a nationwide ban on seafood imports from India, the Dhaka Tribune reported 30 September.
The farmers believe Bangladesh no longer needs fish from India, as it can now either meet its own demand or increase exports. The countr annually exports thousands of metric tons of fish to India each year.
Bangladesh has imported a lot of rohu – a low-priced fish – from India, causing losses to Bangadeshi businesses who trade local fish, Rubai, a Bangladeshi fish trader, told the Tribune.
Jessore District Fisheries Officer Anisur Rahman also attributed the rising imports of rui-katla fish from India to low prices. But he said rui fish from Bangladesh have a better taste than the equivalent imports from India.
Bangladesh exported 3,267 MT of fish to India in fiscal year 2017-2018, which increased to 3,483 MT in fiscal year 2018-2019, and 5,245 MT in fiscal year 2019-2020. Bangladesh also imported 3,516 MT of fish from India in fiscal year 2017-2018, 4,728 MT in fiscal year 2018-2019, and 4,823 MT in fiscal year 2019-2020, Mahbubur Rahman, a fisheries officer of Benapole, a township in the district’s Sharsha Upazila, said.
However, between April and June, Bangladeshi seafood exporters could not ship any cargo to India due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In August, Bangladesh exported 300 MT of fish worth USD 772,000 (EUR 658,800) to India, while the latter sent 1,690 MT of fish worth USD 1.2 million (EUR 1 million) to Bangladesh the same month.
Bangladesh often imports rui, katla, and other freshwater fish while exporting pabda, pangasius, frozen shrimp, carp, and other fish to India.
Abul Hasan, a fisheries officer in in Jessore's Sharsha Upazila, said the fish species imported from India are now raised extensively in Bangladesh.
"There is no need to import these fishes from India. If imports were stopped, the farmers of the country would benefit immensely,” he said.
According to Hasan, fish output in Sharsha Upazila is nearly 22,500 MT, which is both sold domestically and exported to India.
Abdul Quddus, an exporter from Sharsha Upazila, said India has “huge demand” for carp, local fish pabda, and other freshwater fish.
Photo courtesy of SK Hasan Ali/Shutterstock
