In Chandpur, hilsa is being preserved by a special process at the end of the season. The fish are cut and rubbed with salt, a product known locally as "nona ilish" (salted hilsa). The roe taken from the fish is stored in special boxes and sold in Chandpur and other parts of the country.

Traders said salted hilsa is priced at Tk 1,000 to 1,500 a kg, while hilsa roe sells for Tk 3,800 to 4,000 a kg. Prices are somewhat high, but demand is strong.

At the Boro Station fish landing in Chandpur, stockpiling of salted hilsa has already begun. Traders sell it when the hilsa season is over and no fish are caught in the rivers. Demand is good in the northern region and other districts, so they make a good profit.

Before the fish are salted, the roe is removed and boxed. Many describe hilsa roe as a "rare taste", which is why it sells quickly despite the high price.

Md Alauddin, who prepares salted hilsa at the Boro Station landing, said the fish with roe are separated first; the roe is removed and the fish preserved with salt. "This salted hilsa will be sold after six months. Demand is highest in the north. The price then depends on the season and supply."

Md Habib, who came from Sherpur, said hilsa used to be plentiful and cheap, but supply has fallen sharply, so less salted hilsa and roe are available. The salted hilsa stored here will go to different parts of the country in another five to six months and meet demand when there is no hilsa season. "Demand for roe is huge; even at a high price it sells."

Abu Sayeed, a trader in salted hilsa and roe, said business is not what it was because of the low supply. There used to be many traders when hilsa was plentiful, but their number has fallen, and workers to preserve salted hilsa are hard to find. Because hilsa is expensive, roe is too: it used to cost Tk 1,500 to 2,000 a kg and now sells for Tk 4,000. "Traders and owners are not doing well. If we do well, buyers will do well too."

Shobe Borat Sarkar, general secretary of the Chandpur Fish Traders' Association, said hilsa supply has fallen a lot over the past two to three years. Traders from various districts come here to buy hilsa and preserve it with salt, but supply is much lower this year than before, so not much salted hilsa is being stored.

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