Kuakata
Hilsa market gets busy ahead of fishing ban
Photo: Agamir Somoy
A 22 day ban on hilsa fishing will begin tomorrow. On Wednesday (October 7), the day before the ban, hilsa trading became busy in the final hours. After evening, the Kuakata municipal fish market became crowded with buyers and sellers. Fishermen arrived at the market with fish caught from the sea while buyers purchased hilsa according to their needs before the ban began.
A visit to the Kuakata municipal fish market after Wednesday evening found that the number of people at the market had increased. Sellers were sitting with hilsa of various sizes. Although the supply had increased somewhat, hilsa prices had not fallen as much as expected. After evening, prices of smaller hilsa or jatka fell relatively more.
Jatka was selling for Tk 400 to Tk 700 per kilogram at the market. Hilsa weighing 700 to 800 grams was selling for around Tk 1,500 to Tk 2,000 per kilogram. Hilsa weighing more than one kilogram was selling for Tk 2,500 to Tk 3,500 per kilogram. Prices of other fish had also fallen somewhat compared with earlier. However, prices remained beyond the reach of many buyers.
Buyer Kamal Hossain said he had heard from many people that hilsa prices fall the day before the ban begins. That is why he came to the market. However, prices had not fallen as expected. He bought one kilogram of jatka at Tk 700 per kilogram. He said he could not afford larger hilsa.
Another buyer, Golam Morshed, said he was buying some fish and storing them in his freezer because fishing in the sea would be suspended for an extended period. However, prices had not fallen as much as he had expected.
Mohammad Hasan, a trader at the Kuakata municipal fish market, said the supply of fish at the market was somewhat higher. However, prices had not fallen much yet. Only the price of jatka had dropped by Tk 50 to Tk 100 per kilogram. He expected fish prices to fall a little more before midnight.
Kalapara Upazila Fisheries Officer Mohammad Zahirunnabi said fishing, transportation, storage and sale of hilsa would be banned for 22 days from October 8 to protect the main breeding season of hilsa. The upazila administration has coordinated with the Coast Guard, naval police and police to enforce the ban. Fishermen have been made aware of the ban through announcements in various areas including Kalapara, Alipur, Mohipur, Ashakhali, Dulasar, Chapli and Kuakata since October 6.
He added that 459.10 metric tons of rice has been allocated for 18,364 registered fishermen in Kalapara Upazila. Each fisherman will receive 25 kilograms of rice.
