SUKANTA HALDER

Fish stocks in the Bay of Bengal have declined sharply in recent years due to overfishing, raising serious concerns about the sustainability of marine resources, according to a fisheries resource and ecosystem survey released yesterday.

The survey found that the stock of small pelagic species has fallen to nearly one-fifth of previous levels -- down to 33,811 tonnes in 2025 from 158,100 tonnes in 2018.

This means pelagic fish, which live near the surface, have declined by 78.6 percent in seven years. The findings were shared at an event jointly organised by the FAO and the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock at a hotel in the capital.

The survey was conducted with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Norway.

The latest results follow a 2019 survey, which concluded that marine fisheries were heavily exploited, with several species severely depleted. Highly exploited groups include Tiger shrimp, Indian salmon, and large croakers.

Abdullah Al-Mamun, assistant director of the Department of Fisheries and co-cruise leader of the survey, told The Daily Star that overfishing is the main reason behind the current situation. In 1985, around 100 commercial trawlers operated

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