In honor of the Durga Puja season, the Ministry of Commerce approved the shipment of 3,950 tonnes of Hilsa on Wednesday.
A notification from the ministry authorized the export of Hilsa by 79 exporters. 50 tons of Hilsa are permissible for export by October 30, 2023.
The customs authority will perform a manual inspection of the goods permitted for export; all export documentation must be sent to the Ministry of Commerce after each shipment is completed; more than the permitted quantity cannot be exported; the permit is not transferable in any way; and Hilsa cannot be exported through subcontracting. These are the eight conditions set forth by the commerce ministry for the export of Hilsa.
Before Durga Puja, West Bengali businesspeople informed authorities of the need for 5,000 tonnes of hilsa.
The Bangladesh Mission in Kolkata received this application from the Kolkata Fish Importers Association on September 1, 2023. The application was received by the Commerce Ministry on September 4.
According to ministry sources, 2900 tonnes of hilsa were authorized for export last year during the puja period. 1300 tonnes of Hilsa were shipped, though.
A similar incident also occurred in prior years. Exports fell between 30 and 40 percent short of the permitted amount.
