The ongoing peak season sees good catches of hilsa in the coastal belt of Khulna region, much to the happiness of fishermen and traders as well as consumers.
Over 1500 trawlers from Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira and Barguna districts are now engaged in catching hilsa in the sea and different rivers in the Sundarbans and adjacent areas, said members of local fishermen’s association.
Amid the abundant supply, prices of the popular fish have reduced by 20-25 percent per kg compared to last month, locals said.
“We went to the deep sea with 50 fishermen and came back to the shore after two weeks with 120 maunds of hilsa that sold for Tk 20 lakh to Khulna traders,” Mizan Molla, a fisherman of Baniashanta area under Dakope upazila in Khulna, said on Friday.
“Around 45-50 trawlers loaded with 850-900 maunds of hilsa from the sea arrive here daily and we buy it for around Tk 550 per kg from the fishermen,” said Abdus Salam Sheikh, a fish wholesaler in Khulna No-7 Ghat area adjacent to the Bhairab River.
Alam Howlader, a hilsa wholesaler of Rupsha fish market, said around 35-40 trawlers with 50 maunds of hilsa reach there daily and retail traders in different kitchen markets buy the fish for Tk 570-Tk 600 per kg.
Kabir Hossain, a retailer of city’s evening kitchen market, said they sold 700gm-800gm sized hilsa for Tk 600-Tk 650 and a kg sized hilsa for Tk 800-Tk 850 on Friday while the prices were Tk 750-Tk 800 and Tk 1100-1200 last month.
Meanwhile, several wholesalers and retailers alleged that cold storage owners in Khulna region are hoarding huge hilsa in the current season after buying it for low prices with hope to sell it for high prices later.
Source: The Daily Star
