Affordable Hilsha satisfies Bangalees' taste buds

Neil Ray Surely, there would have been a storm in a teacup had Hilshas, perhaps the most favoured fish to the Bangalees, would have been conspicuous by their absence. Now that the most sought-after fish until recently have flooded markets, street corners and all the vantage points in the city for fish vendors, there seems to be an inexplicable silence from all corners. That Hilsha is cheaper than many an array of fish has been taken, as if, for granted. Mind it, over the past three decades the Bangalees have pined for the days when heavy catch of the fish prompted by lack of required ice compelled fishermen to sell the silvery abundance at a throw-away price or dump into the drains. Ordinary customers' purse did not allow them to afford the luxury of Hilsha treat on the dining table. People used to have a litany of complaints ranging from mismanagement of the spawning estuaries to catching of jatka (tender and small Hilsha) to export of the fish to a neighbouring country. This year people have an occasion to have a mental journey back to the nostalgic days when the fish was available in abundance and even the poorest of the poor could afford to manage it for family consumption. But no one seems to be bothered about how there has been such a turnaround in the situation concerning Hilsha glut. This fish accounts for 30 per cent of the country's total fish production. In 2011-12, a target of 0.36 metric tonnes of Hilsha production was fixed. Whether that target was achieved or not is unknown but there is no doubt that this time the actual production is likely to outstrip the target of 0.396 million tonnes set for the current year. Now was there an Aladin's lamp responsible for making this miracle possible? The plain and simple answer is that no Aladin's lamp was invoked to do the near impossible. In fact, the rigorous exercise of a mandatory ban on catching the fish in the breeding season on a sustained basis for two or three years holds the key to the increased production of the fish. Hilsh spawning has defied some of the expert opinions that spawning river beds became shallower and contaminated rendering them unfit for the purpose. The development has proved beyond doubt that effective fishing ban alone is enough for breeding the fish in uncountable numbers. If it is complemented by a ban on extensive export, so much the better! The total catch can be several times more if the spawning estuaries are not disturbed and the tender fish not caught. Unsurprisingly, no one seems to be unduly bothered now about Hilsha's export to any country. All because the fish is cheap and easily available. When the delicacy is affordable, who cares if the fish is exported or not? The ministry concerned deserves kudos for this extraordinary performance. It has enforced the fishing ban and now all, including fishermen, are reaping the benefits from the measure. Credit goes to it for giving the Bangalees, once more, the opportunity to savour to their heart's content a most prized dish in the form of Hilsha. When the production is higher, export of the fish is expected to earn higher export receipts for the country as well. The sector shows it can be expanded further. Further research and development of environmentally friendly programmes will help boost Hilsha production. That is exactly where an answer to any decline in the fish's production lies.