Production of large fish has decreased in Kaptai Lake

The production of Rui fish in Kaptai, the largest lake in Southeast Asia, has decreased at an alarming rate. However, the amount of small fish has increased. This largest artificial lake in the country is not only a tourist attraction, but is also known as a huge reservoir of freshwater fish. Thousands of fishing families depend on the fish in this lake for their livelihood.
Every evening, fishermen take boats to the lake. They cast nets overnight and return with fish in the morning. Various species of fish including Rui, Katla, Mrigel, Kalibaush are caught in the nets. These fish are meeting the demand of local markets in various districts of the country including Dhaka and Chittagong.
However, traders and fishermen say that big fish are not being caught as before. Currently, small fish are being caught more in the lake. Due to the decrease in the number of large fish, they often do not get the expected profit. Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation is supervising the fish harvesting and marketing of the lake. Officials of the organization said that the government’s revenue collection from the sale of fish in the current season has increased compared to the previous season.
According to their information, about 8,200 metric tons of fish were harvested from the lake in the 2024-25 fiscal year, against which the government’s revenue collection was about Tk 16 crore. And in the same period of the current 2025-26 fiscal year, fish collection increased to about 8,500 metric tons. The revenue collection was about Tk 19 crore.
Fisheries officials say that fish production is increasing due to regular release of fry in the lake and stopping fishing at certain times, which is also increasing revenue.
However, experts believe that if the environment of the lake is protected, the use of illegal nets is stopped and fish collection is ensured according to the rules, Kaptai Lake can play a bigger role in the country’s freshwater fish production and the number of big fish can increase again in the future.
It is worth noting that the Karnaphuli Hydropower Station in Kaptai was built by damming the fast-flowing Karnaphuli in 1961. This resulted in the creation of a huge artificial lake covering an area of ​​700 square miles. The Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation leased the lake in 1964 and began commercial fishing from it. More than 20,000 fishermen earn their living by fishing in this lake.