Late in the season, supply of hilsa has picked up at the Borostation fish landing in Chandpur. At least 1,000 to 1,500 maunds of hilsa now arrive every day, most of it from the sea estuary, and traders and workers are busier than they have been for a month.

Mohammad Manik Jamadar, president of the fish traders' association, said only 500 to 700 maunds a day were arriving a short while ago. If the higher supply holds, prices may come down a little further, he said.

People in the trade say fishers are netting plenty of hilsa under the influence of the new and full moon. Hilsa researcher Dr Anisur Rahman said the lunar phases are bringing enough hilsa into fishers' nets in the Padma and Meghna.

Arrivals of local river hilsa are relatively low, but more fish coming from Hatiya, Bhola and other districts has brought prices down somewhat. At the landing, hilsa of about 1.5 kg sell at Tk 2,700 a kg, 1 kg fish at Tk 2,300 to 2,400, 800-900 g fish at Tk 1,800, and 500-700 g fish at Tk 1,000 to 1,200.

Ordinary buyers say that even after the fall, hilsa remains well out of their reach.

This report is based on information from Channel i Online's Chandpur correspondent Morshed Alam.

Source: Channel i Online