Barishal markets glutted with hilsa from sea

While fishing out hilsa from the sweet river waters have become a rather rare scene, several fishing boats, loaded with the Bengali delicacy, are returning from the sea to several ghats in Barishal.

Around 5-7 maunds of the fish arrived at landing ports in Barishal city, Barguna's Pathargata, and Patuakhali's Alipur, Mahipur and Kuakata yesterday. 

However, hilsa is a rare catch for river-based fishers at present as the fishes are yet to bear eggs, according to fisheries officials.

While hilsa only enter the fresh waters to release their eggs, their journey to the rivers was further delayed by the late rains this year, mentioned fisheries department officials.

Visiting Barishal Port Road wholesale fish market yesterday, this correspondent saw at least five times more supply of the fish than the usual stock. Hilsa from the sea, weighing 600-800 grammes, was sold for Tk 25,000-30,000 per maund.

"Not even 50 tonnes of hilsa from the rivers have come into the market, while over 500 tonnes of sea hilsa usually arrives at the market these days," said Nirab Hossain Tutul, president of Barishal Matsya Arotdar Samity.

Traders from Dhaka, Chattogram, and Narayanganj are visiting the market to buy the fish. Medium sized sea hilsa was being sold for Tk 650-700 per kg, he added.

Jahangir Hossain, president of Matsya Arotdar Samity, Patharghata, Barguna, said 25 trawlers went to the ghat with fish yesterday with 2,500 maunds of hilsa.

"We invested Tk 80 lakh on three fishing trawlers but returned with only 75 hilsa fish after spending seven days in the sea," said Zakir Majhi, a fisherman who returned to Barishal after trying his luck in Kuakata and Payra port area.

Around 500 maunds of sea hilsa arrives in Barishal wholesale market every day. The figures are 2,500 maunds in Patharghata and 3,000-4,000 in Patuakhali's Alipur and Mahipur, said fisheries officials.

However, the river fishers are worried as they are being unable to cope up with the fuel expenses, said Nasir Uddin Howlader, additional director of fisheries department in Barishal.

"Hopefully, hilsa will return to rivers within a few days. Around 53,000 tonnes of sea hilsa arrived at various landing stations in July. The number will be triple this month," he added.