After a long time, the supply of hilsa has risen at the Baro Station fish ghat in Chandpur. Traders and workers are busier, and the fish wholesale market is ringing with the calls of buyers and sellers.

The peak hilsa season begins in July. When river water rises and it rains, silver hilsa will be caught in shoals in the Padma and Meghna, although fishermen did not find as many hilsa as they had hoped at the start.

A visit to the Baro Station fish ghat at midday found workers heaping hilsa brought from the southern region in baskets in front of the wholesale stalls. Traders then sold the fish by auction.

Malek Khandakar, owner of M/s SM Mamun Traders, said hilsa was coming from the southern region and would be sold to local retailers and wholesalers. What is supplied around Eid will meet local demand, he said.

Another trader, Sohag Gazi, said hilsa of about one kilogram were selling at Tk 1,700 to 1,800 a kg, fish of 800 to 900 grams at Tk 1,400 to 1,500 a kg, and small hilsa at Tk 1,000 to 1,200 a kg.

Tanjimul Islam, senior fisheries officer of Chandpur Sadar upazila, said it was now the monsoon, so hilsa supply would rise in the coming days. "We carried out jatka (juvenile hilsa) conservation successfully this year. We will see the benefits ahead," he said.

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