Mamata's warning, BJP's counter: Inside West Bengal's fish economy and the politics around it

Vendors sell fish at a retail fish market in Kolkata. (Image: Reuters)

• Fish becomes a political issue ahead of West Bengal elections
• Mamata Banerjee warns BJP may restrict fish and meat sales
• Fish is vital to Bengal's culture, economy, and rural jobs

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From unhurried Sunday strolls to the local fish market to marking a triumph of football matches with a feast of tiger prawns, fish in Bengal is far more than a staple.

Ahead of the West Bengal assembly election, it is once again back in focus.

Following the Bihar government’s decision not to allow open sale of meat ahead of Ramadan, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “If you elect them (BJP), they won’t even let you sell fish or meat in the markets. I respect vegetarians, but that doesn’t mean meat sales can be prohibited in Bengal."

The statement may resonate deeply in Bengal, a state where the majority of the population is non-vegetarian.

Not first time

The Trinamool has earlier locked horns with the BJP over fish.

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had slammed Opposition leaders of "Mughal mentality" for consuming non-vegetarian food during Navratri. His comments came days after RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's video of a fish meal in Patna surfaced online.

Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of the All India Trinamool Congress, had then alleged that PM Modi lacks understanding of the country’s diverse culture and food habits.

“The PM said those who eat fish during this holy month are not devout Hindus. He said they are Mughals. My question to the PM, does he know that in our culture Durga Puja, Kali Puja rituals are not complete without 'maach' (fish), without 'mangshho' (meat) in many Hindu households,” said Banerjee.

Last year, a political row broke out in April over the popular fish market in New Delhi’s Bengali-majority Chittaranjan Park.

Trinamool leader Mahua Moitra alleged that individuals linked to BJP had threatened fish vendors to shut their shops near a temple.

BJP leaders rejected the charge, accusing the Trinamool of twisting facts to stoke communal tensions.

Importance of fish in Bengal

West Bengal is India's second-largest fish-producing state after Andhra Pradesh. However, it is the only Indian state where fish is cultivated in every kind of water bodies i.e. brackish water, sweet water, sewage water and marine water as well.

State Fisheries Minister Biplab Roy Chowdhury recently said the state sent 1.78 lakh tonnes of fish to other states in 2024-25 against 1.62 lakh tonnes in the previous year. Bengal produced 23.75 lakh tonnes of fish in 2024-25.

According to data from the National Fisheries Development Board, over 8 out of every 10 households consume fish in West Bengal.

Fisheries also play a crucial role in food security and employment in rural Bengal. In 2024, the ministry of fisheries stated that approximately 32 lakh people earn their livelihood from the fisheries sector.

War of words

In response to the CM’s allegation, the Bengal unit of the BJP shared a post on X saying, “…Under Mamata Banerjee, a state like West Bengal which is so full of rivers, ponds and a coastline is unable to meet its own demand and is having to import its fish from Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and even Gujarat, all BJP-NDA states.”

The BJP also said that its governments in Odisha, Assam, Tripura and the entire Northeast never saw any ban or restrictions on the use of chicken, mutton and pork.

In response, the Trinamool said that with elections approaching, the BJP “suddenly appears to have rediscovered the economic, social, cultural, and sentimental significance of fish in Bengali life. Now comes the hurried course correction to cover tracks and save face”.

ঠেলায় না পড়লে বিড়াল গাছে ওঠে না!

With elections approaching, @BJP4India suddenly appears to have rediscovered the economic, social, cultural, and sentimental significance of fish in Bengali life. Now comes the hurried course correction to cover tracks and save face. But this… https://t.co/NEwr8Dl3CEpic.twitter.com/YoiqUNHChr — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) February 18, 2026

“Regular fish consumption is widely associated with improved cognitive function. Perhaps that explains why the people of Bengal rejected BJP in the past, and why they will do so again in 2026,” it said on X.