Hilsa is selling at high prices in Kalapara, Patuakhali. In the market, 500-gram hilsa is selling at Tk 1,900, and 800-gram hilsa at Tk 2,300 to Tk 2,800 a kg.

At Alipur-Mahipur, the district's largest fish landing centre, fishermen who had come from different parts of the country and taken shelter there described their situation.

The trawler FB Al-Asfak from Banshkhali, Chattogram, set out to sea on 4 July with 15 crew. On reaching its fishing ground it cast its nets and caught only a little fish; after three days it had just 200 fish weighing 163 kg. The trawler's skipper, Salahuddin (42), sold the fish at three prices according to size.

He said that after three hauls it was impossible to stay at sea because it suddenly turned rough, and to save their lives they came to Alipur, the nearest landing centre, at night. On Tuesday he sold four maunds of fish at the Mahipur wholesale market, priced by size.

According to the skipper, he sold 1-kg hilsa at Tk 1,03,000 a maund, 800-gram hilsa at Tk 86,000 a maund and 650-gram hilsa at Tk 76,000 a maund.

"The price of hilsa is high, but I went to sea with supplies worth Tk 7.5 lakh and sold fish worth Tk 3 lakh. I lost Tk 4 lakh. It is true that fish prices are high now, and it is equally true that we are counting losses," he said.

He said the sea stays rough from July to November and fishing then means risking one's life. This is when the tastiest hilsa is caught, but prices are high because hilsa are scarce. If enough hilsa are caught, prices are likely to come down.

The trawler FB Ma-Babar Doa from Hatiya, Noakhali, was anchored at the same port. Its skipper, Taiyabur Rahman, said hilsa prices are high because they have not been able to fish at sea for the past three months: there was the 58-day ban in May-June, followed by a month of bad weather. After three months of scarcity, only a little fish is reaching the market, so prices are high, but they will fall when the catch increases.

Ziabul, a fisherman at Mahipur ghat, said the government would decide hilsa prices, but no one asks how a fisherman risks his life to catch hilsa. "Hilsa prices are high, and still we are counting losses. Nobody wants to know about fishermen's hardship. So I say, if hilsa prices are fixed, the prices of fuel, ice and all our other supplies must be fixed too."

Jahangir Khan, director of Khan Fish in Kuakata, said they did not know why hilsa prices were high either. Every day they send fish to wholesale markets including Dhaka, and the price they are paid depends on sales there; they buy from fishermen at matching prices. He said he knew of no other reason, and prices would come within reach when the quantity of fish increased.

Kalapara upazila fisheries officer Ashikur Rahman said hilsa prices had risen because fishermen had been unable to go to sea for a long time, and prices would fall as the catch grew. Even so, officials are monitoring the market so that no dishonest traders can form a syndicate.

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