Off-season hilsa aplenty in coastal rivers
Officials attribute it to drive for protecting mother hilsa, jatka
Workers unload hilsa from trawlers at the fish landing station in Barisal city a couple of days ago as large catches are being netted in the Bay even during the winter, usually an off season for the popular fish. Photo: STAR
Huge catches of hilsa are being netted in the rivers and coastal waters of the southern region although the winter is usually an off-season for the popular fish. Consumers are happy to have the fish for lower prices while the earning from hilsa export from Barisal during the first three weeks in January this year sees nine times rise compared to that in the same period last year, said officials of Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC). Fish merchants have urged development of processing industry, setting up of cold storage and ensuring electricity and ice supply for preservation and availability of hilsa round the year. Following unexpected netting of hilsa at different fishing points of rivers, estuaries and coastal fishing zones during the last three weeks, its price has come down to about half from three months earlier, Aslam Khan, manager of hilsa trading house named Five Star, said during this correspondent's visit to local hilsa wholesale market and fish port. Per maund of hilsa weighing 600 grams is now selling for Tk 8,000 while the price is Tk 9,000 for a maund of hilsa weighing 800 grams and Tk 16,000-17,000 for a maund of hilsa weighing 1,000 grams or over, he said. Every day 8-10 fishing trawlers, each carrying 150-200 maunds of hilsa, reach Barisal fishing port from Dhal Char, Daulat Khan, Manpura, Alipur and Bhola, said Abul Kalam, a worker engaged in unloading hilsa at the port. Rabiul Islam, manager of Barisal fish landing port of Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation, said 10,955 maunds of hilsa was exported from the landing station during January 1-23 this year whereas January 2010 saw export of only 1,190 maunds of hilsa. Revenue earnings during January 1-23 (Tk 2,62,000) this year far exceeded that of 12 months (Tk 1,40,000) of last year when only 7,300 maunds of hilsa was exported from this landing station, he said. Bangladesh government on April 12, 2008 fixed the minimum price of hilsa weighing between 600 grams and one kg at six dollars per kg, which is eight dollars for hilsa between one kg to 1.5 kg and 12 dollars for the fish weighing over 1.5 kg, related sources said. Wahiduzzaman, Barisal district fishery officer, and Bankim Chandra Mandal, assistant director of Barisal office of the fishery directorate, claimed that availability of hilsa in the off season is the result of their drives to prevent catching of jatka (young hilsa) and mother hilsa. “We are happy over netting of huge hilsa in winter. But we are facing storage and packaging problems due to acute shortage of ice production and electricity supply and absence of cold storage and fish processing plants in the region,” said Yusuf Ali, secretary of Bangladesh Non-frozen Fish Exporters Association and Barisal Fish Merchants Association. Daily average 800 maunds of hilsa exporting to Dhaka, Chittagong, Pabna, Khulna of Bangladesh and Kolkata of India India from Barisal and we have to sell rest stocks at local markets in almost at throw-away prices as the item is perishable, he said.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments