An EdPublica ground report from Bangladesh examines why the Hilsa catch has fallen after nearly two decades of growth, and what climate change and human pressures mean for the fishermen who depend on the fish.

DHALCHAR, Bhola, Bangladesh–At the fish landing centre, boats still come in one after another, and the crowd of fishermen on the shore grows with each arrival. But Ruhul Amin has stopped counting on what they carry.

“I can no longer support my family by catching Hilsa. I have been carrying the burden of debt for years. I wait for the Hilsa season every year with high hopes, but time and again, those hopes are dashed. There is no sign of Hilsa this year either, so I have to return home facing a loss.”

Ruhul Amin, 45, spoke these words amid the clamour of the fish landing centre on Dhalchar Island, situated along the banks of the Meghna River, one of the three principal rivers that form the vast Ganges Delta. Several other fishermen echoed his sentiments.

Dhalchar Island, located in the Meghna estuary, lies 100 kilometres from the Bhola district headquarters and 347 kilometres from the capital, Dhaka. Waves from the Meghna River crash against the island’s fish landing centre. The morning sun has just risen. Seagulls fly in flocks alongside the river waves. Boats dock one after another at the landing centre, and the crowd of fishermen grows. Yet, most of the boats arriving at the dock carry no Hilsa.

The area is bustling with activity—tea stalls, eateries, boat repair shops, and other establishments are crowded. However, there is a scarcity of the very fish—Hilsa—around which this landing centre was built. The fragile Dhalchar landing centre is shrinking due to river erosion, yet it remains a lifeline for the fishermen. Dhalchar Island remains quiet for most of the year but comes alive during the Hilsa season. Every year, thousands of fishermen gather here, filled with hope. It is not just Dhalchar Island; numerous fish landing centres along the coast of Bangladesh inspire similar hope among fishermen. About one million fishermen earn their livelihoods by catching Hilsa at these centres. Yet, they can no longer rely on Hilsa for their sustenance.

Ruhul Amin is one of those million fishermen. Amidst this despair and financial loss, the four-month-long Hilsa season is set to conclude on 7 October. The government has banned the catching, storing, transporting, and marketing of Hilsa for 22 days—from 8 October to 29 October—during the fish’s breeding season. Fishermen will once again have to wait until the following year for the Hilsa season.

“Fishing no longer sustains a livelihood”

Amidst the bustle and noise of the Dhalchar fish landing centre, Ruhul Amin voiced his frustration: “Every year, I’m forced to take out loans to go fishing with my boat and nets. I cast my nets during the Hilsa season with high hopes, but the catch is so meagre that it doesn’t even cover the operating costs. How am I supposed to repay the loans? How will I support my family? I may have to abandon this ancestral fishing profession; I can no longer bear the burden of debt.”

Bangladesh’s Hilsa Catch Is Falling After Two Decades of Growth

Even as the Hilsa season draws to a close, Ruhul Amin and many other fishermen have failed to recover their fishing expenses; they are ending the season at a loss. After nearly two decades of steady growth in Hilsa production in Bangladesh, the catch has fallen in each of the past three years. Simultaneously, the average weight of the fish is decreasing—a trend that has raised concerns among researchers.

“Same nets, same boats, same rivers. Yet, the spots where we used to catch Hilsa in the past no longer yield any fish,” said Abdur Rob and several other fishermen from Kuakata on the Bangladeshi coast. They explained that as times change, they are encountering new crises while fishing at sea. Fishermen across most coastal districts—including Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Bagerhat, and Lakshmipur—are grappling with professional crises. Climate change has impacted their lives and livelihoods, while natural disasters create obstacles to their fishing activities. Another group of fishermen believes that, beyond natural disasters, government-imposed seasonal fishing bans and various human-induced factors are hindering their profession.

According to records from the Bangladesh Department of Fisheries, the volume of Hilsa catch in Bangladesh began to rise in the 2016–17 fiscal year. That year, 496,000 tonnes of Hilsa were harvested within Bangladesh’s waters. In the 2017–18 fiscal year, the catch rose to 517,000 tonnes. The upward trend continued steadily until the 2022–23 fiscal year, when the harvest reached 571,000 tonnes. However, in the following year—2023–24—the catch volume suddenly dropped to 529,000 tonnes. It declined further to 500,000 tonnes in the 2024–25 fiscal year. Sources indicate that the Hilsa catch during July and August of the current year has fallen by 30–40% compared to the previous year.

According to data from WorldFish and the Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh accounts for roughly 70–86% of the world’s Hilsa catch. India lands about 10–15%, mainly in West Bengal, Odisha, and Gujarat, and Myanmar about 3–10%. The remainder is caught in the coastal rivers and seas of Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Since 2019, Bangladesh has exported Hilsa to India, particularly during Durga Puja and other occasions; this practice continued until last year. However, this year, the situation reversed, with India exporting Hilsa to Bangladesh.

Climate change has created crises in various marine sectors, including the Hilsa fishery. As catch volumes decline, fishermen are facing new challenges. Scientists fear that marine risks will escalate in the future. A study titled “Climate Change as Observed in the Bay of Bengal” highlights the dangers posed to the marine environment by climate change. Another study by the World Bank also addresses the impact of climate change on fishermen at sea.

Hilsa Is Losing Its Favourable Habitat

Fishermen observe that coastal temperatures, rainfall patterns, and the nature of the monsoon season have all shifted. The timing of freshwater influx into rivers and coastal salinity levels are changing, as are marine environmental conditions. Collectively, these changes influence the migration and breeding cycles of the Hilsa fish. A specific combination of factors—including water temperature, salinity, currents, tides, water density, oxygen levels, and rainfall—is required to create the right conditions for Hilsa migration and spawning. However, the environment essential for the Hilsa has been significantly degraded.

Hilsa experts largely concur with these observations made by fishermen. Anisur Rahman, former Director of the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI), states, “Hilsa require specific water currents and depths to migrate into inland waters. They need a water depth of at least 10 metres to navigate the rivers, but they are not finding it.”

In some areas, river depth has dropped to just 18–20 feet (about 5.5–6 metres)—far below the 75–80 feet (about 23–24 metres) required for Hilsa breeding. Furthermore, submerged shoals and sandbars have obstructed waterways between Chandpur and Monpura, leaving only narrow channels for navigation. Hilsa migrate from the sea to inland waters by swimming against the current; however, reduced river navigability and diminished water flow are hindering this migration. Hilsa from the Padma River are renowned for their superior taste, yet the fish are no longer entering the Padma in significant numbers.

Hilsa production in Bangladesh—which had been steadily rising for two decades—is now declining. This has raised concerns regarding the survival of this popular fish and its affordability for ordinary people. Anisur Rahman has been conducting research on Hilsa for a long time. Expressing concern over the decline in Hilsa catches, he said, “I’m truly worried about the population or stock of Hilsa.”

“The fish’s food chain is being disrupted by falling water levels, rising temperatures, and changes in water quality. This balance is further destabilized by excessive heat and altered rainfall patterns caused by climate change,” added Anisur Rahman.

Dr Md Sajedul Haque, a professor in the Department of Fisheries Technology at Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU), observed, “Hilsa catches used to be higher; now they are lower. This is a global problem. It is happening due to global warming.”

“If Hilsa does not find a suitable environment, it will neither stay there nor spawn. Factors such as water salinity, the availability of plankton for food, and water temperature are crucial for Hilsa. If salinity is too high, they will not spawn, or the eggs will fail to hatch and perish. Without food, they will not grow. If the temperature is not optimal, the eggs will not be fertilized, and the fry will not hatch. The Hilsa’s life cycle is directly linked to these factors,” added Sajedul Haque.

To a fisherman, climate change is not a PowerPoint presentation; it is a harsh reality and a matter of life and death.

Human-Induced Factors

Alongside climate change, human-induced factors are jeopardising the breeding of Hilsa fish. Local fishermen, trawler owners, and wholesalers engage in unregulated and illegal fishing practices. The number of illegal trawlers in the sea has multiplied significantly. Trawlers are essentially large wooden boats powered by high-capacity engines. They operate by dragging illegal ‘Behundi’ nets (bag nets) through the sea for hours using this engine power. These nets catch not only large fish but also small fish fry and juvenile Hilsa (Jatka), thereby destroying the primary breeding grounds of Hilsa and other marine species.

Three power plants are located within Hilsa sanctuaries along the Bangladeshi coast—the Payra Power Plant, the Patuakhali Power Plant on the banks of the Ramnabad Channel, and the Barishal Power Plant at Taltali on the banks of the Bishkhali River. Many have expressed concern regarding the pollution caused by these facilities. These coal-fired power plants discharge waste and heated water into the rivers. A decline in Hilsa populations has been observed since the establishment of these plants. Fishermen are no longer catching Hilsa in the Ramnabad River (Patuakhali district) and the Payra River (Barguna district) as they used to; consequently, many are turning to other professions.

Fishermen Face Growing Risks at Sea

Fishermen report that while Hilsa exists in the deep sea, the fish are not migrating to shallower waters, as the environment there is no longer suitable for their survival. Small-scale fishermen face a dire crisis because the Hilsa do not venture into shallow waters, and many have already abandoned the trade. Those who remain in the profession are forced to venture into the deep sea to catch Hilsa, where they face increasing risks.

Every year, many fishermen go missing due to various natural hazards. The sea is becoming more turbulent than in the past, and the level of danger is rising. Nuruddin, a fisherman from Char Fasson in Bhola district, says, “I have been going out to sea to fish since childhood. I used to have no fear, but now venturing out to sea is frightening for us. I cannot say for certain if it is due to climate change, but the waves are rougher than before. We often face accidents because we do not receive weather warnings in time. I have personally been involved in accidents a few times; fortunately, I survived and returned.”

A study titled “Resilient Bangladesh: Fishermen Cope with Rough Seas” notes that for centuries, the fishermen’s traditional boats were sturdy enough to withstand conditions in the Bay of Bengal. That is no longer the case. Fishermen are increasingly facing more powerful storms and turbulent seas. Every time they head out to fish, they are essentially gambling with their lives.

Even as the risks for fishermen rise, fish stocks in the sea are declining, impacting their livelihoods. Despite this crisis, fishermen continue to struggle for survival. Research titled “Dwindling Coastal Fisheries Biodiversity of Bangladesh: The Causes and Effects” indicates that coastal fish stocks are being overexploited, leading to a depletion of many species. The marine sector’s contribution to the country’s fisheries is shrinking annually. According to assessments by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), approximately 28% of coastal fish species now fall under the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

Golam Mostafa Chowdhury, President of the Barguna District Trawler Owners’ Association, states, “In most cases, fishermen go missing when their trawlers capsize. The sea has become rougher than before, and weather conditions have deteriorated. Siltation has occurred in many areas, and many fishermen fail to receive proper weather warnings. These factors are contributing to a rise in the number of missing fishermen. Rescue vessels need to be stationed in areas with high concentrations of fishermen, and arrangements must be made for the rehabilitation of those who go missing.”

Initiatives to Protect Hilsa

The government is taking various measures to protect the Hilsa fish. Conservation and management activities for Hilsa in Bangladesh are conducted under the Protection and Conservation of Fish Act, 1985. A programme to protect Jatka (juvenile Hilsa) was launched in Bangladesh in 2003–04, leading to a gradual increase in Hilsa production. The Jatka conservation drive runs for two months—March and April—during which fishing of all kinds, including Hilsa, is prohibited in designated sanctuaries across the country. Additionally, fishing for all species, including Hilsa, is banned in marine waters for 58 days, from 15 April to 11 June. Initially, in 2008, the ban on catching mother Hilsa (Ma Hilsh) was set for 11 days, but from the following year onwards, this period was extended to 22 days. A ban on catching mother Hilsa is in effect from 8 October to 29 October this year. For two decades, the trend of Hilsa harvesting had been on the rise; however, research is currently underway to understand why the catch rate has recently begun to decline.

Ruhul Amin, a fisherman, is spending the final days of the Hilsa season at the Dhalchar fish landing centre. He might venture out to sea a few more times with other fishermen to catch Hilsa. Yet, amidst the crowds and grueling labor, a question weighs on his mind: will he be able to take home enough earnings to support his family for the coming months? Ruhul Amin does not know the answer—nor do many other fishermen.

For the fishermen of Bangladesh, the Hilsa season is drawing to a close amidst a period of uncertainty. The voices of the crowd at the fish landing centre fade into the air, carrying with them the indistinct sounds of the fishermen’s suffering.

Standing with teachers means more than celebrating them on World Teachers’ Day. It means giving them the support, professional autonomy and working conditions needed to shape India’s future.

Every year, World Teachers’ Day gives us a chance to speak about teachers. But 5 October 2026 is more than another day of appreciation. This year marks 60 years of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, and the theme, set by UNESCO with the ILO, UNICEF and Education International, is “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures.” Respect for teachers cannot remain a ceremonial idea. It must become a continuing social and educational responsibility.

Standing With Teachers in a Changing Education System

India has always given the teacher an important place. From the traditional gurukula system to the modern classroom, the teacher has been more than a person who delivers lessons. A teacher has been a guide, a mentor, a listener and, often, a source of confidence for a young person. The subjects taught in a classroom may be forgotten with time, but the encouragement received from a good teacher can last a lifetime.

The teacher’s role, however, is changing rapidly. Students today live in a world of smartphones, social media, artificial intelligence and unlimited digital information. A student can find an explanation for almost any question within seconds. This does not make the teacher less important. In many ways, it makes the teacher more important.

Information is not the same as knowledge, and knowledge is not the same as wisdom. Students need someone who can help them tell reliable information from misinformation, understand different points of view, ask meaningful questions and develop the confidence to think independently. Technology can provide information, but education also requires human understanding.

This is why the teacher of the future cannot be seen simply as a provider of content. The teacher must increasingly become a mentor and a facilitator of learning. Technology should remain a tool in the teacher’s hands, not a substitute for the teacher. Artificial intelligence can explain a concept, but it cannot fully understand the circumstances, emotions, aspirations and difficulties of every student in a classroom.

The human relationship between teacher and student remains at the heart of education.

India also needs to think seriously about the professional status of teachers. Respect should not be limited to Teachers’ Day speeches, greetings and awards. A profession is respected only when its practitioners receive adequate professional support, opportunities for continuous learning, reasonable working conditions and a meaningful voice in decisions that affect education.

UNESCO’s concept note for this year describes teacher status in three parts: symbolic, meaning how far teaching is valued; professional, meaning autonomy, support and a voice in policy; and material, meaning salaries, workloads and working conditions. It adds that the world needs 50 million more teachers by 2030 to meet the global education goal.

Teachers are expected to do much more than teach. They prepare lessons, assess students, maintain records, attend meetings and activities, communicate with parents and often respond to children’s social and emotional needs. These responsibilities require time, training and institutional support. The quality of education therefore depends not only on curriculum and infrastructure but also on the conditions in which teachers work.

Context matters too. Education in India takes place in very different social and geographical circumstances. A teacher in a major city and a teacher in a remote village face very different challenges, yet both are expected to prepare young people for an increasingly complex future.

Teachers in smaller towns and rural areas often become important links between school and community. They encourage children to continue their studies, guide families, identify students who need extra support and create opportunities where resources are limited. Their contribution deserves greater visibility.

Teachers also have a responsibility to preserve values while preparing students for change. Education should build employability and technological skills, but it should also cultivate honesty, compassion, discipline, respect for others and democratic values. An education system cannot be judged by examination results alone. It must also ask what kind of citizens its classrooms are producing.

World Teachers’ Day should therefore be a day of reflection, not only celebration.

The relationship between education and society is inseparable from the relationship between teachers and society. If we want responsible citizens, we must give teachers the freedom and support to nurture responsibility. If we want innovative young people, teachers must themselves be encouraged to experiment and learn. If we want inclusive classrooms, teachers must be supported in understanding different learning needs.

World Teachers’ Day should therefore be a day of reflection, not only celebration.

India has made significant progress in expanding access to education and embracing digital learning. The next challenge is to ensure that technology, policy and institutional reform strengthen the teacher rather than marginalise them. The teacher should remain at the centre of education even as its tools change.

The world also faces new challenges, including climate change, migration, social inequality and rapid technological transformation. UNESCO’s concept note for this year’s observance points to similar pressures on the profession, among them digital technologies and artificial intelligence, climate change, migration, conflict and displacement. Teachers are among those who must help young people understand and respond to them.

That responsibility cannot rest on teachers alone. Governments, educational institutions, parents, communities and society at large must stand with them.

A teacher may not always see the result of their work. A student may become a scientist, entrepreneur, farmer, civil servant, artist, engineer or teacher many years after leaving the classroom. Somewhere in that journey there may be a lesson, a word of encouragement or a moment of trust that came from a teacher.

That is the quiet power of teaching.

On World Teachers’ Day 2026, the question should not simply be, “How do we thank our teachers?” It should also be, “How do we create an environment in which teachers can do their best work?”

Standing with teachers means respecting their knowledge, listening to their experiences, supporting their professional growth and giving them the conditions they need to teach well.

The future of education will certainly involve new technologies. Classrooms will change and learning methods will evolve. But one thing should remain constant: the importance of a committed teacher who sees a student not merely as a mark or a data point, but as a human being with potential.

If we want to shape a better future, we must invest in those who help shape the people who will live in it.

The people of Bikini Atoll left their homes in 1946 after the United States selected the atoll for nuclear weapons testing. They were told the move would be temporary. More than seven decades later, most of their descendants still do not live on Bikini. That displacement was the beginning of a much larger nuclear testing programme across the Marshall Islands.

Between 1946 and 1958, the United States carried out 67 nuclear weapons tests in the islands, which were then under U.S. administration as part of a United Nations trust territory. The tests took place mainly at Bikini and Enewetak atolls, although radioactive fallout reached communities elsewhere.

For Marshallese communities, the consequences were not limited to the two testing sites. People were moved between islands, exposed to radiation, separated from traditional lands and, in some cases, later moved again when returning home proved unsafe. The most consequential test came on March 1, 1954.

Castle Bravo and the Fallout

At Bikini Atoll, the United States detonated Castle Bravo, a thermonuclear device that became the country’s largest nuclear test. The explosion was much more powerful than expected, and radioactive fallout travelled beyond the planned danger zone.

Rongelap and Utrōk atolls were among the inhabited areas affected. Residents were eventually evacuated, but some were later returned to their islands. Concerns about continuing radioactive contamination subsequently led to further relocations.

The effects were recorded in the health of exposed populations. Studies and U.S. government programmes have documented elevated risks of certain cancers and thyroid disease among people exposed to radiation. Health concerns also extended to reproductive outcomes and other conditions associated with radiation exposure.

The testing programme also changed the physical basis of life on the islands. Much of the Marshall Islands consists of small, low-lying atolls where communities have traditionally depended on limited land and marine resources. When an island became contaminated or was designated for testing, relocation meant more than moving houses. Communities lost access to food sources, burial grounds, customary lands and places associated with family histories. Bikini illustrates the problem particularly clearly.

Residents were allowed to return in the 1970s, but they were removed again in 1978 after radiation concerns, including contamination of locally produced food, made permanent resettlement unsafe. The original Bikini community has never fully returned.

What Happened After the Tests Ended?

The United States stopped nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands in 1958. The relationship between the two countries changed substantially in the following decades, culminating in the 1986 Compact of Free Association.

The agreement included provisions dealing with the consequences of the nuclear testing programme. The United States established programmes for medical surveillance and treatment and environmental monitoring, while compensation arrangements were created for nuclear-related claims. Those measures have not resolved every issue raised by the testing programme.

Health care remains a major concern because exposure occurred across different communities and generations, while long-term monitoring is needed for diseases that may emerge decades after radiation exposure. Environmental questions also remain around the safety of returning to contaminated islands and the reliability of food grown or gathered there. There is another problem: access to information.

Why the Archives Matter

The Marshall Islands has sought greater access to U.S. government records concerning the nuclear tests, radiation exposure and the decisions made during the testing period.

Those records could help answer questions that remain important today. What information did U.S. authorities have about radiation risks at different stages of the testing programme? What did they tell Marshallese communities? Why were some communities returned to affected islands? How were decisions about evacuation and resettlement made?

For researchers, historical records can also complement health and environmental data collected over subsequent decades.
The UN has previously raised concerns about gaps in access to information relating to the nuclear programme, including records that were incomplete, redacted or otherwise unavailable to Marshallese authorities. That makes the latest UN intervention more than a call to preserve historical documents.

Why the Issue is Being Raised Again

The UN human rights body has now called on the United States to take additional steps to address the nuclear legacy in the Marshall Islands. The recommendations include stronger healthcare support for people affected by the testing programme and the release of classified archives.

The timing matters because the population directly exposed to the tests is ageing. At the same time, their children and grandchildren continue to live with the consequences of displacement, health monitoring and restrictions on access to some ancestral islands.

The Marshall Islands is also dealing with a practical problem that did not exist in the same form when the first tests were conducted: much of its population is now spread across different islands and overseas communities. Questions about land, health records, compensation and historical documentation therefore affect families who may no longer live in the places where their relatives were exposed.

The nuclear tests ended in 1958. The programmes created to deal with their effects have continued for decades. The latest UN report points to two areas where the organisation says further action is still required: medical care and access to information. For Marshallese communities, both are connected to the same history. The medical record explains part of what exposure did to people. The archives could help explain how decisions were made that exposed them in the first place.