Uganda to Bengal? The reality of PM Modi's claim on fish imports

Fish has become a key issue in Bengal's election campaign. PM Modi has said that Bengal, despite its huge demand, was not 'atmanirbhar' in fish production and had to import from other states. We dug up data to find out the reality.

In Short

• PM Modi says Bengal not 'atmanirbhar' in fish production
• Bengal is second-largest fish producer in India
• Bengal imports fish from African nations and several states

In West Bengal, its beloved fish - a staple in Bengali homes - has found its way from the kitchen to the election campaign trail. The humble fish became an unexpected flashpoint after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a rally on Thursday, accused the Mamata Banerjee-led government of failing to feed her people enough fish. PM Modi rubbed it in by further emphasising that Bengal, despite its huge demand, was not "atmanirbhar" in fish production, and it had to be imported from other states.

It was an attempt by PM Modi to kill two birds with one stone. First, to make it a prestige issue for Mamata. Second, to counter Trinamool's attempt to portray the BJP as being "anti-non-vegetarian".

WHAT PM MODI SAID ON FISH?

"You will be shocked to know that there is so much demand for fish. And Bengal is not self-sufficient... fish is imported from other states. In 15 years of its rule, the TMC has not been able to give you fish," PM Modi said in Haldia.

The Prime Minister is well aware that fish is not merely a food for Bengalis. It is intrinsic to Bengali identity and pride. He continued.

"Bihar and Assam used to import fish. Now, they are self-sufficient, having doubled their fish production," he further said, turning it into a prestige issue for Mamata.

MAMATA COUNTERS PM MODI

A fiery counter came from the chief minister within hours. Speaking at an election rally, Mamata pointed out that Bengal used to import fish from Andhra Pradesh, but has stopped now.

"Earlier, we used to import fish from Hyderabad. But now 80% of fish are produced here in Bengal. They need not worry about fish production in Bengal," she said.

The sharp exchange between PM Modi and Mamata has fuelled a widespread debate on social media. Does Bengal import fish from other states? To verify the remarks by PM Modi, we dug up available government data to find out the reality.

Bengal is India's second-highest fish-producing state after Andhra Pradesh. It produces around 23.74 lakh tonnes of fish (around 12% of India's total). Notably, around 80% of the population in Bengal consumes fish.

WHAT DATA SHOWS ON BENGAL FISH IMPORTS

However, Bengal is also a net importer of fish. It imports significant quantities of fish from African nations like Mauritania and Uganda to meet local demand, according to a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

Data shows that in 2025-2026 (till November), Bengal imported frozen tilapia fish, shrimps, hilsa, and catfish worth $5.33 million (Rs 4.94 crore) from Mauritania, a small country in northwest Africa. From Uganda, Bengal mainly imports shrimps. In 2025-26, it imported fish worth $0.11 million (Rs 1.02 crore).

You must be wondering why Bangladesh is not in the list, as Bengal receives a significant quantity of hilsa, known as the "queen of fish" for its taste, from the neighbouring country.

In fact, for decades, Bengal's beloved hilsa came from only two places - the River Padma in Bangladesh and rivers in the state.

In 2012, the then government of Sheikh Hasina had banned the export of hilsa. However, since then, Bangladesh has sent a few thousand metric tonnes of the fish to India as a goodwill gesture each year.

During the height of India-Bangladesh tensions last year after the fall of the Hasina government, Bengal received a record haul from Gujarat, PM Modi's home state. It came amid a declining hilsa catch in the rivers of Bengal.

During her rally on Thursday, Mamata asserted that hilsa was now widely available across Bengal. "Hilsa fish is now widely available in Bengal. We have established a research centre for hilsa production in Diamond Harbour," she said.

Within India, Bengal imports a significant amount of fish from Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar, as per the reply in Parliament by the Ministry of Commerce. However, data show that imports have been gradually declining.

In 2022-23, Bengal imported 1.51 lakh metric tonnes of fish from other states. It decreased to 1.36 LMT in 2023-24, and further declined to 1.22 LMT in 2024-25.

Thus, data shows that despite being the second-largest producer of fish in the country, Bengal still imports a significant amount to meet the local demand. However, it has been decreasing gradually.

But what will not decrease is the political slugfest between the Trinamool and the BJP over fish in this poll season.

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