Fish traders in Chandpur say they will not accept the fixing of hilsa prices, calling it unreasonable. A letter on the matter, signed by deputy commissioner (DC) Mohammad Mohsin Uddin, was sent to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock on 17 June.

On the morning of Thursday, 19 June, there was not enough hilsa at the Boro Station fish ghat in the town. Traders said supply would fall further if prices were fixed.

Samrat Bepari, owner of Shanti Fish Arat at the Chandpur hilsa ghat, said: "We have learned that the district administration wants to fix hilsa prices. This seems unreasonable to us. It is not possible to sell at fixed prices. Prices depend on costs and supply. If the administration fixes the price, fish will no longer come to the ghat."

He added: "To increase the supply of fish, current nets must be stopped. Where nets are used, the mesh must be four fingers wide so that only big fish are caught. Small-mesh current nets are wiping out jatka and all native fish."

Monsur Ahmed Mahin, a trader at Anwar Hossain Jamadar Arat, said: "There are big hilsa at the arat now, and fewer small ones. Prices have fallen by Tk 200-300 a kg. In today's market a hilsa weighing one kg sells for Tk 2,300 to 2,500, a kg and a half for Tk 2,700 to 3,000, and fish of 500 to 600 grams for Tk 1,600 to 1,700. Fishermen are already facing losses; if prices are fixed, fishing will stop altogether."

Hasan Ahmed Manik, who came to buy hilsa, said: "Hilsa prices have been high for several years. We don't know why prices rise. Fishermen and traders don't have to invest in hilsa, so why should the price go up? If there is less hilsa, we will eat less, but why should one side profit by raising prices? Hilsa prices should be fixed across the country."

Haji Shobe Borat Sarkar, general secretary of the Chandpur Matsya Banik Samity (fish traders' association), said: "The price the administration wants to set for hilsa seems unreasonable to us, because raw produce is not sold at fixed prices. Supply decides whether prices rise or fall. The administration should think it through before deciding, because traders will not accept a sudden price fix. Where 500 to 1,000 maunds of hilsa used to arrive, now not even 100 to 150 maunds come to the ghat."

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