Supply of hilsha fish

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FEW years back, the supply of the hilsha fish was scarce in the market due to indiscriminate catching of its fries. Following some protective measures during its breeding season in the last two years, the supply of the fish has increased significantly. It now becomes available in a good quantity during the peak harvest season. A recent report in the FE said huge quantity of hilsha fishes are being caught from the coastal rivers and its supply has increased in the landing stations. However, for a brief period the catching of this fish from the deep sea was not possible due to inclement weather.
But we could not see the reflection of the huge catch in the local market. Price of this tasty fish is still beyond the purchasing capacity of the common people. The report disclosed that one kilogram of hilsha is now being sold at a price lower by Tk 100 to 200 compared with the wholesale price last weak. It, however, said the price has not fallen to the expected level because of the restriction on fishing in the deep sea.
There is no doubt that the hilsha fish is one of our national pride possessions. This species is found in the confluence of the coastal rivers including the Meghna and the deep sea. They live in colonies and move around in waters in flocks. We have learnt from our elder generation that the smell and taste of this fish are extraordinary and incomparable to any that of other fishes of the world. Its smell and taste on cooking increases if the fish is caught after it has swam a considerable distance upstream in a river from the sea. That's why the hilsha fishes caught in the Meghna or the Padma river taste so good on cooking or being fried.
An earlier report said that a huge quantity of hilsha fish caught in the coastal waters and adjacent rivers, rotted due to an acute shortage of ice for preservation. The perplexed fishermen threw those in tons in the rivers, which must have polluted their waters making them inhospitable for not only the hilsha but also for other fishes. The scarcity of ice for the preservation occurred due to local ice factories having frequently suffered break-down in operation because of power supply shortages in and around fish landing stations. Think about the huge losses in terms of money and animal protein. Would our authorities awaken to the need for improving power supply in those areas after this painful experience?

Rawshan Ara
Purana Paltan, Dhaka