Local farm fish meet the demand

Farm fishes are meeting the demand of the consumers as river and sea fishes are virtually absent in the local markets amid the ongoing ban on catching all types of fish in rivers.

The government has imposed the ban from October 7 to October 28 mainly to help safe breeding of popular fish hilsa.

Wholesale buyers from different areas come to Badura fish market in Pirojpur Sadar upazila all the year round mainly to buy sea fishes that sell in the local fish markets for over Tk 100 a kg.

Visiting the wholesale market on Wednesday morning, this correspondent found mainly pangas (yellowtail catfish) and tilapia fish produced in local farms.

Pangas was sold at Tk 80 per kg and tilapia between Tk 80 to Tk 100, depending on size.

These fishes are mainly brought from Nesarabad upazila in Pirojpur and nearby Bagerhat district.

Some sea fish stored in cold storages were also found there.

But there was no fish from rivers.

After beginning the 22-day ban on catching fishes, the presence of wholesale buyers has greatly decreased in the market, local traders said.

“Most of the fish traders of our area are involved with sea fish business. As most people dislike pangas and tilapia, fish trade has drastically fallen here,” said Nasir Uddin, a wholesaler at the market.

The prices of locally grown fishes have remained as before, he said.

“I mainly buy sea fish from here and then sell it in the local markets. Now we are buying and selling pangas and tilapia to keep the business running,” said Jahangir Alam, another wholesale buyer at the market.

Mainly pangas and telapia fishes are grown at different fish farms.

Some people also cultivate koi (climbing perch) at farms.

Many people, who usually avoid farm fishes, are now buying them from the market as there is no alternative.

Amid the fish crisis, the prices of local variety fishes collected from different natural water sources have increased.

In the local market, one kg of local variety fishes is selling for over Tk 600.

The prices of eggs and fowl have also increased.