A group of fishers went fishing in the Kapura river in the Indian Sundarbans on 22 October when a huge bhola fish suddenly came up in one of their nets. The fishers carried it on their shoulders to a wholesaler at the Canning wholesale fish market in South 24 Parganas. It reportedly weighed about 78 kg 200 grams.

News of the giant fish spread, and food lovers crowded into the market not only from the district but from various areas to buy it or simply see it. Within moments people were queuing to take selfies with the fish.

Zee 24 Ghanta and other Indian media reported this on 24 October. At 11pm that night the bidding reached Rs 49,300 per kg, and the whole fish finally sold for Rs 36,48,200. It was bought by a Kolkata firm called KMP.

Fisherman Bikash Barman has fished the river for a long time and goes after bhola fish there every year, but he had never before caught one this big.

The fish fetched such a price because its swim bladder is reportedly used to make various medicines and for stitching after surgery.

Source: Banglanews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.