In response to recent concerns about fish imports from Bangladesh, Tripura’s Fisheries Minister Sudhangshu Das asserted on May 23 that the northeastern Indian state is fully capable of meeting its own fish demand without relying on imports from Bangladesh.
Speaking at a review meeting of the Animal Resource Development Department for the 2025–26 fiscal year, Minister Das emphasized that Tripura’s domestic fish production, supplemented by imports from Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, is more than sufficient to meet current consumption needs.
“Even if fish imports from Bangladesh stop, there will be no issue. We are producing enough fish locally and also importing from West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. This covers 100% of our demand,” said the minister.
The comments come amid a recent ban by the Indian central government on the import of six items from Bangladesh via land routes. Though fish was not directly listed, trade disruptions at the Akhaura land port in Brahmanbaria have affected seafood exports from Bangladesh to India’s northeastern states, including Tripura.
The minister also highlighted that Tripura has not been actively importing fish from Bangladesh, despite media reports citing suspended exports through Akhaura.
During the meeting, Das reviewed budget utilization and departmental performance for the past fiscal year and laid out priorities for achieving self-sufficiency in milk, eggs, meat, and animal healthcare under the Animal Resource Development (ARD) framework.
According to Das, 99% of the previous year’s budget was successfully utilized, and district-level meetings are already underway to implement new development strategies.
This statement from Tripura’s top fisheries official hints at a growing regional shift toward self-reliant aquaculture and livestock management, potentially signaling longer-term changes in cross-border seafood trade dynamics with Bangladesh.
