River fish prices on the wane

Prices of riverine fish have reduced notably in the last 10 days, thanks to an increase in supply, traders said.
Indigenous fish of river, haor and beels such as Hilsa, Boal, Pabda, Tengra, Golsha, Aair, Puti, Darikana, Batashi, Baila, shrimp, Baim etc prices decreased by 15-20 per cent in a week.
Hilsa prices further went down by Tk50-60 at per piece or per kg. Small sized (500-600 gram) Hilsa is selling at Tk400-450 per kg while a medium-sized fish (750-850 gram) is selling at Tk450-500 per piece while big-sized Hilsa (above 900 gram) is being sold at a minimum Tk 700.
"The price is 20 per cent less now than in the corresponding period of last year" Anis Uddin, a wholesaler at Showarighat, told the FE.
He said the supply condition is good in catching zones.
"Ban on export, increase in domestic production and a good catch in the peak season have helped reduce the price", chairman of Jatrabari Matsha Aratdar Bahumukhi Shamabay Samity Ltd, an association of fish traders in the city, Md Abu Bakkar Siddique said.
He said the price of Hilsa would have been much lower if the smuggling of the silver fish to India can be reduced.
Meanwhile, shrimp small sized is selling at Tk250-350, medium sized at Tk450-600 and big sized at Tk700-800 per kg---a Tk80-100 reduction in last ten days.
Golsha has been selling at Tk 400-550 per kg (based on sizes), retailers said.
Pabda is selling at Tk550-600 (small) and Tk650-750 (big) per kg, Tk80-100 reduction in the last two weeks.
Puti, Batashi, Darikana, Mola, Kajoli, Tengra, Baim, Baila fish prices also reduced by Tk50-100 per kg.
However, the country's fish production reached all time high of 3.55 million tonnes in fiscal year (FY) 2013-14, according to the Department of Fisheries (DoF).
Asst director of DoF Masud Ara Momi said that among the indigenous fish, output of Hilsa has been increasing for the last three years. Production reached 0.404 million tonnes in FY'14, she said.

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