Hilsa have been on sale in Barishal's markets for two days, but this time the supply of river pangas has also suddenly increased.

Rojen, a trader at the private fish landing centre on Port Road in Barishal city, said river hilsa began arriving two days ago after the 22-day ban to protect roe-laden hilsa. Other river fish come in with hilsa at this time every year, but this year a good quantity of river pangas is being found.

Because of the large supply, the price of pangas has fallen by Tk 2,000-3,000 a maund, he said. River pangas is now selling at Port Road for Tk 20,000-25,000 a maund depending on size.

Abul Kalam, of Jangalia in Mehendiganj, said he and many others nearby catch hilsa and other fish in the Kalabadar, Maskata, Lata, Meghna and Tetulia rivers, and over two days many people in his village have caught pangas large and small. His family ate a small river pangas together with dinner and found it very tasty, and he got a good price for a large pangas caught in the Maskata.

District fisheries officer Md Asaduzzaman said this is the result of the work the fisheries department has done on the government's instructions. Various activities run all year: fishing for hilsa and jatka is halted at set times, and current nets, other small-mesh nets and "chai" traps are banned. The main aim is to stop young fish being destroyed.

He said that although the measures target hilsa, they also stop the destruction of other fish fry, so other species are being conserved too. As a result pangas, air, ramsos, poa and other fish have returned to the rivers.

With no nets at all in the rivers at present, pangas have been able to move upstream unhindered and are roaming the whole river area, he said. Since pangas like food, it is natural that they are found where food is most plentiful.

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