Hilsa price high due to profit-mongers’ greed: fisheries minister

The price of hilsa in the market is high due to greed of profit-mongers at different levels, Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim said today.

He said this at a press briefing organised on the occasion of the implementation of 'Mother Hilsa Conservation Campaign 2023' during the main breeding season today.

He said although there is no separate cost in hilsa production, the amount of expenses to collect and preserve hilsa is not less. "But the government is giving incentives. Our VGF programme is helping those who help us to harvest hilsa."

The minister said those who harvest hilsa have to use boats, nets, and hire workers. After harvesting the fish, the fishers bring those to the landing stations, and the locations are changed several times for icing and other processes. Some people earn huge profits at different levels.

"I think the price of hilsa is more than it should be due to their profit making process," said the minister.

The minister said those who are involved in market management have been urged to increase monitoring to ensure consumer rights.

If they proactively monitor the market, it is possible to bring the price of hilsa to a tolerable level, he added.