Hilsa

Hilsa or Tenualosa ilisha is an anadromous fish. Most of this fish’s life is spent in the Ocean. However, during the rainy season (spawning season), it moves to the estuary, where the rivers in India and Bangladesh meet in the Bay of Bengal. Most of these fishes travel upstream in the Padma and Ganga, while some travel to Godavari and Cauvery. Until the 1970s, the hilsa swam the Ganga upstream to Allahabad and even Agra. However, this pathway was hindered by the Farakka Barrage that came to existence in 1975, leading to the disruption of the westward movement of these fishes.