Hilsa are scarce in the Meghna and Tetulia rivers in Bhola, and the shortage is being felt at the district's fish landing ghats and markets. With catches below demand and strong demand from wholesale markets around the country, hilsa prices have risen in Bhola's markets, angering ordinary buyers.

Visits to several landing ghats in Bhola on the afternoon of Monday, 15 June, found that fishermen are not catching the hilsa they hoped for in the Meghna and Tetulia. As a result, Bhola's wholesalers cannot supply enough to wholesale markets in Dhaka, Mawa, Chandpur, Khulna and Barishal.

Md Kamal Bepari, a wholesaler at the Dhania Tulatuli fish market in Bhola Sadar upazila, said demand and prices are high in the wholesale markets of Dhaka, Mawa, Chandpur, Khulna and Barishal, but they cannot supply enough because fishermen are not catching enough hilsa.

He said 1 kg hilsa sell for Tk 2,400 to Tk 2,500 wholesale, 700-950 g fish for Tk 2,200 to Tk 2,300, and 400-650 g fish for Tk 1,300 to Tk 2,000.

Prices of all sizes have risen in Bhola's markets because of low supply. They were high for a while around Eid, fell somewhat about seven days ago, and have now risen again as supply dropped.

At Bhola's Kitchen Market on Monday, eight to ten sellers had brought hilsa: some of about 1 kg, some of 500-800 g, some of 400-600 g, and some jatka (juvenile hilsa).

Sellers Md Sahabuddin, Md Mohiuddin and Md Jewel said supply at the ghats is low while there are many wholesalers from Dhaka, Chandpur, Khulna and Barishal and many local retailers. When fishermen bring fish to the ghat, the wholesalers hold an auction and everyone keeps bidding, pushing prices up, so they have to buy at high prices.

They said they sell 1 kg hilsa at Tk 2,600-2,700, 700-950 g fish at Tk 1,800-2,500, 400-650 g fish at Tk 1,200-1,700, and jatka at Tk 1,000 a kg.

Buyers Md Rakibul Islam, Nurjahan Begum and Yusuf Hossain said about 33 per cent of the country's hilsa is caught in Bhola's rivers, yet hilsa is expensive in Bhola's markets. They are struggling to buy it, and low- and middle-income families cannot buy as much as they need. Hilsa goes from Bhola to Dhaka, Mawa, Khulna, Chandpur and Barishal, they said, yet it is cheaper there than in Bhola.

Bhola district fisheries officer Md Iqbal Hossain said hilsa are being caught in the rivers, but not enough to meet demand, so prices are a little high. More hilsa will be caught when rainfall increases, and supply will rise and prices fall when fishing boats return from the sea.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.