Dry fish business faces crisis

A trader is busy drying fish on the bank of river Karnaphuli. PHOTO: STAR

They said a huge quantity of dry fishes is damaged every year due to lack of proper storage facilities in the port city causing a huge loss to the traders.

"We have to face serious problem if we maintain stock of large quantity of dry fish that are often attacked by insects. That is why, we are badly in need of cold storage here for proper preservation of dry fish in large quantity," said Abdul Munaf, general secretary of Asadganj Dry Fish Traders Association.

"We don't have even a single cold storage at Asadganj and Chaktai, the main hub of dry fish business in the port city. The government should come forward immediately to set up such a cold storage to help us flourish our dry fish business," Munaf added. "The dry fish sector is yet to get any help and support from the government though it has immense potentialities," he said.

"If the government provide us proper support, it will be easy to boost export of dry fish to many countries in large quantity to fetch huge foreign currency to strengthen our economy," he said. "Now small quantity of dry fish is exported to few Middle East countries, including Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Qatar," he said.

" The sector is almost an uncared for unit though it has vast potentialities to earn huge revenue," he said. Supply of dry fish from Chittagong to northern parts of the country suffered a setback following last year's flood, he said, adding that it caused a slump in dry fish business here.

Munaf said that production of dry fishes had dropped in recent years following the fall in catch of sea fish.

In reply to a question, he, however, said that insecticides were used at the field level to protect and preserve the dry fish from pest attacks.

Senior physician Dr. Kamrunnesa Runa said "Dry fish is good to take if preparation is fine. But it is risky for health if we eat dry fish coated with insecticide or preservative as it may cause diseases."

Dry fish, the most favourite and traditional dish to the Bangalees, are prepared in a natural way under the open sky at the coastal areas of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Rangabali coast, traders said.

Bidhan Barua, also a dry fish trader at Asadganj, said "Dry fish business is almost dull now. In recent years the business is going down, he said.

Supply of dry fish has fallen as sea pollution caused by dumping of wastes from foreign vessels affected fish stock and catch in the deep sea."

"On the other hand, due to shortfall in supply, price of dry fish marked a rise. The pomfret that was sold at Tk 300 to 400 per kilogram one year back now sells at Tk 700 per kg. The latia dry fish is selling at over Tk 100 per kg. Acting principal officer of state owned Merchantile Marine Department Habibur Rahman said "whenever we get reports, we take action against the vessels responsible for dumping waste in our territorial water in the sea. But beyond our jurisdiction it is difficult to check or identify dumping of wastes from vessels at the outer sea," he said.

Export Promotion Bureau Assistant Director Tofazzal Hossain said "our dry fish has a good demand at the export market. But it is not being exported in large scale due to various problems in shipment," hev added.