There are many reasons why the price of hilsa is out of reach
October 1, 20245 Mins Read

Jumbangla Desk: The price of hilsa in the country is unbridled due to the increase in fuel and juice prices, hostile weather and fishing by Indian fishermen in the waters of Bangladesh. Fishermen say that they are not able to balance the cost of fishing in the sea as they do not get the desired hilsa. Every time we have to return to the ghat with a load of losses from the sea. Traders and wholesalers say that the fish is less than last year but the demand is high, so this time Hilsa is beyond the reach of the middle class.

Ilish

Hilsa is less caught in the sea

FB Faraji trawler owned by Abul Hossain Faraji of Patharghata, Barguna, along with 18 fishermen, went to the deep sea for hilsa hunting on September 16 with fuel and logistics worth three and a half lakh rupees. After 10 days on September 26, about one man of medium size (600-700 grams) hilsa and some mixed fish returned to Patharghata fish landing center wharf. They sell one head of hilsa for 60,000 taka and other fish for 15,000 taka.

Trawler sailor Sultan Mia said, there are no fish in the sea like before. 10 times the net is less fish. We also don't like to see trawler owner's losses. But what do we do? On the one hand, less fish, on the other, hostile weather.

Increase in prices of commodities including diesel

The owner of the trawler, Abul Faraji, said that during the current Hilsa season, this trawler went fishing 8 times and lost about 15 lakh taka. Many people say that hilsa does not eat grass, does not eat hay, does not eat husks or feed, there is no medical cost for hilsa, it is not necessary to keep daily labor for raising hilsa, then why is the price so high?

He said, if hilsa was available for eating, we could feed hilsa at a lower price than pangas. Monthly salary of 18 fishermen in a trawler ranges from 16-25 thousand. 8 barrels of diesel are needed once at sea. After that, at least 50,000 taka is spent in 15 days, starting with medicines for fishermen, including rice-dal, turmeric-pepper.

Indian fishermen trespassing in the country's waters and hunting fish

Fishermen said that Indian fishermen are intruding into the country's waters and taking fish. The fisheries office and the administration were informed several times but they did not take measures to stop the encroachment.

Kawsar Hossain, the sailor of FB Mae's Doa-3 trawler of Patharghata, and the fishermen complained that the Indian fishermen with modern trawling vessels and trawlers are intruding into the waters of Bangladesh and hunting fish. When we tried to stop them, they called other Indian fishermen through walkie-talkie and cut our nets and beat us. 30/40 trawlers come once they say on walkie-talkie.

Former FB Najma trawler and fishermen said, we guess by looking at the water and cast the net hoping for fish. But Indian fishermen can know the location of fish using modern technology. Then if they see our net leaves there, they use trawling vessels to lift our net lines and catch fish. Throwing stones at our trawler. The Navy doesn't tell them anything. When we give them information, they treat us badly.

Illegal fishing

Some unscrupulous fishermen use gill nets in all surrounding areas including the Sundarbans and estuaries. Also, some fishermen catch fish in the sea with small fish nets called shrimp nets.

Fishermen said that all species of fish, including hilsa fish, died due to these false nets and small nets. Due to this, the number of all species of fish including hilsa is decreasing day by day.

Fishing with indigenous trawling vessels

Hilsa is decreasing day by day due to fishing by trawling ships, the price is increasing. Sardhul Thakur (68), the skipper of the FB Tuba trawler owned by Tuhin Howladar of Subarnachar, Noakhali, has been fishing for more than 50 years. Sardhul Tagore said, at one time fish and water were equal in the sea. I used to catch fish by casting the net. But the number of fish is decreasing day by day. One of the main reasons for fish reduction is the trawling vessels of Chittagong. Hilsa fish live in salt water, but they come to spawn in fresh water. These trawling vessels come close to the coast and catch fish using mosquito nets. When the hilsa hatchlings hatch in fresh water and go to the deep sea, the hilsa hatchlings get caught in the mosquito nets of trawling vessels and die. Trawling vessels do not catch these fish, as fishing for hilsa fry is prohibited. So they floated all the small fish including the hilsa fry in the sea and went to the wharf with the big fish.

The fishermen of this trawler said that if this situation continues, there will be no more fish in the sea in 2-3 years.

Ice Syndicate

Fishermen complained that ice production was disrupted due to power problems in Patharghata. So a syndicate of ice is formed. A can of ice worth 80 taka has to be bought for 150 taka. At least 4/5 times in a month there is ice crisis in Patharghata. Then ice had to be brought from Khulna. If ice is brought from Khulna, the cost of a can of ice including transport costs falls to Tk 600. This price of ice is added to Hilsa.

Fishermen are not able to know the weather signal at the right time

The weather is bad when you go fishing in the sea and throw your net. Unable to withstand the hostile weather, the fishermen returned to the ghat. Golam Mostafa Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Fishermen Trawler Owners Association, said that one has to burn diesel worth at least 2 lakh rupees to go to the sea for fishing. But the fishermen went to the sea and returned 7 times this season. Country's 2nd largest fish landing center at Patharghata in Barguna. But there is no meteorological office in this district. If there was a full-fledged weather office here, one would know about the hostile weather before going fishing in the sea.

He also said that in every meeting we go to Dhaka Matsya Bhavan and highlight various complications in writing. There are people in the ministry, everyone knows everything, but there is no solution.

Traders-peddlers of Patharghata fish landing center say that fishermen sell hilsa at the open call of the fish landing center. Traders buy and sell fish in different parts of the country. However, due to various complications, hilsa is being sold at high prices since last year.

According to the information of Matsya Avataran Kendra, one kg and above hilsa is being sold for 70-80 thousand taka in the current season. Hilsa from 800 to less than one kg is 65-69 thousand taka. 60-64 thousand hilsa of less than 600 to 800 villages. Hilsa of less than 400 to 600 villages is 45-63 thousand taka.

Landing center manager Lt. Commander GM Masud Shikder said, to break the syndicate and fix the market price of hilsa, dealers and wholesalers buy hilsa directly from the fishermen at the auction shed of the fish landing center. There is strict vigilance in the auction shed during the post office. There is no room for manipulation.

District Fisheries Officer. Mohsin said that the fisheries department is aware of the complaints of the fishermen. They told the superiors.

In the current season, 1184.64 metric tonnes of fish have been sold so far at Patharghata fish landing station. In 2023, 1295.95 metric tons of hilsa were sold at this ghat.