The domestic fish market is in a disarray mainly due to unrestricted import of fishes, which pose a serious threat to even the very special and much sought-after fish variety, Hilsa. Surprising, although fish production in the country has multiplied manifold, including that of Hilsa, imports too are on the rise. Import of Hilsa this year has reportedly soared more than twice the volume last year. This, no doubt, has made the situation difficult for the fish traders and the fishing community alike. It has been reported that beside import of Hilsa from Myanmar, an almost identical variety of fish is imported from Oman and other Gulf states that deludes buyers in taking the fake for the real. Fisheries directorate sources say that last year’s catch of Hilsa was around four hundred thousand tonnes, almost enough to meet the country’s requirement. This being the case, it is not at all understandable why there is still no restriction on import of Hilsa — that too of far inferior quality compared with the local variety. Over and above, the current restriction on catching during the Hilsa breeding season has now been well accepted by the fishing community which also is the reason for increasing local supply, and this should well explain why imports should be discouraged. It may be noted that the country too exports Hilsa, mostly to cater to the non-resident Bangladeshis abroad. Experts are of the view that there should be an immediate ban on import of Hilsa or identical varieties. More importantly, there is the critical need to get laboratory tests of other varieties of fishes. As regards the look-alike Hilsa varieties imported from the Gulf region, lab tests have found strong presence of heavy metal in them such as lead, and hence consuming those is sure to cause serious health hazards. However, the good news is that the government has, of late, moved a draft bill, seeking provisions for restricting import, sale and transport of fishes. The bill — Fisheries Quarantine Bill 2017 — provides for mandatory approval of designated authorities for import of any kind of fish or fish products as well as quarantine inspection at land and sea ports to check whether they carry any germs harmful to health or environment. It is rather strange that as of now there is no law in force but some executive orders to regulate the import of fishes and quarantine them. The bill thus is a major departure from the existing practices. However, the bill, as the reports in the media indicate, proposes for a ban on only a few varieties of fishes, but ground realities suggest that there are some more varieties, the import of which must be put on hold or banned outright. Import of fish disregarding the domestic requirement and consumption pattern is bound to tell upon the huge fishing community in the country, who are already adversely affected. Besides restriction/ban, there is the critical need to put in place adequate facilities for the quarantine teams to prevail on the chaotic situation.