Hilsa have started arriving in the market since the ban ended, but along with them are jatka (young hilsa) and roe-laden mother fish. Buyers and sellers say most of the large hilsa brought for sale in particular carry roe.

Naimul Islam, a resident of the city's Sadar Road area, said he bought 6 kg of hilsa the previous day, including two fish of about a kilo each, and found roe in both. There were also jatka among the smaller fish. Local journalists also say they have noticed jatka among the hilsa reaching the market after the ban.

Fish seller Masud, however, said the market at this time is dominated not by jatka but by good-sized hilsa, and since there is a year-round ban on jatka it cannot be sold openly. Roe is found at this time in fish from the "LC" grade up to a kilo or more, he said, and in recent years roe-laden hilsa have been found in the market for quite a few days after the ban is lifted.

Bimal Chandra Das, fisheries officer (hilsa) at the Barishal district fisheries office, said it is the time when hilsa that have spawned return to the sea, while some that have not yet spawned remain in the rivers, so it is natural for fish in the rivers to carry roe. Roe-laden hilsa are found to some extent all year, and in the current weather all the hilsa will spawn in the rivers, he said.

"We hope the number of fish that were supposed to spawn properly have done so," he said. Hilsa spawn most around four new and full moons, and all four were covered, so the roe-laden fish now being caught will not affect production. He said the day's weather should bring hilsa in the rivers and sea, and plenty more will be caught during the coming tide around Kali Puja.

On jatka, district fisheries officer Md Asaduzzaman said catching jatka is banned from November to June. This will be strictly enforced, and if it is, there will be no shortfall in meeting the hilsa target, he said.

Source: Banglanews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.