Scanty catches make Hilsa pricey
Wednesday, 25 June 2014
KHULNA, Jun 24 (UNB): Despite it being the peak season of Hilsa, fishermen are yet to start getting good catches of the popular fish in the coastal rivers.
The price of the fish has gone beyond purchasing capability of the commoners due to its poor netting.
Talking to UNB, a number of fishermen said Hilsa is not being netted in abundance in the coastal rivers as the fish is not available there.
Sources concerned said this time last year, some 20 to 25 trawlers loaded with hilsa came to KB Fish Landing Station, main Hilsa selling centre of Bagerhat, every day.
But the situation is quite different early in the hilsa season due to poor catching of the fish. Lulu Mollah, a trader at the fish landing station on the town protection embankment, said they are now getting one to two maunds of Hilsa against the daily demand of 500 maunds.
He added that the netted Hilsa is not good in size. Sheikh Idris Ali, president of Upakulio Matsyajibi Samity, said fishermen are now facing financial hardship due to poor hilsa caches.
He said during this period in previous years, four to five truckloads of hisla were sent to Jessore, Magura, Faridpur, Khulna, Rajshahi, Kaliganj, Jhenaidah and Kushtia from the fish landing station, adding that due to scantly supply, the fish can not be sent to the districts this year.
Besides, the fish export to India from the landing station has registered a fall this year compared to the last year for the same reason, said the fish trader.
While visiting the main fish markets in Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira, this correspondent found hilsa traders passing very idle time.
Another fish trader Arup Kumar said the market price of hilsa is three times higher this year compared to the last year.
The biggest size hilsa fish weighing more than one kg each sells at Tk 45,000-50,000 per maund while those were sold at between Tk 35,000 and 40,000 last year.
Small size Hilsa fish equivalent to 700 grames sells at Tk 35,000 per maund while it was between Tk 15000-2000 last year, he said.