Abundant hilsa catches from sea, still no smile for fishermen and traders in Cox's Bazar
Fishermen Hafiz, said, “After fishing for six days, we caught 3,700 Hilsa, which we sold for Tk20 lakh. But we have incurred a loss of Tk50 lakh in the last three months due to the ban on fishing."
Though Hilsa is being sold at high prices at Cox's Bazar fish landing centre, there is no smile on the faces of fishermen as the government ban on Hilsa fishing starts soon.
Fish traders are also unhappy with the high wholesale price of the fish though it is available in abundance now.
According to the fishermen, the government-imposed 65-day ban on Hilsa fishing begins as soon as they start to find the fish in the sea, due to which they incur a huge financial loss.
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In the past two days, about 100 tonnes of Hilsa has been caught in the sea by fishermen and brought to the Cox's Bazar Fish Landing Center, according to the wholesale market's authorities.
Today (17 May), workers and fish traders were still busy sorting, washing and packaging the Hilsa at the Cox's Bazar landing centre. The traders said four different sizes of Hilsa were available - 2kg, 1.5kg, 800 grams, and 300 to 500 grams.
While talking to this correspondent, fish traders said though Hilsa is available in the sea, the prices are too high. They cannot get the desired prices despite supplying all over the country, they added.
Fish trader Nabi Hossain said, "100 Hilsa weighing 2kg are being sold for Tk2 lakh, and 100 Hilsa weighing 1.5kg are being sold for Tk1.5 lakh. However, when we go to sell these in Dhaka, we face losses. We cannot get the desired price, and as a result, we're incurring losses."
Fisherman Hafiz, who is from Kutubdia, said, "After fishing for six days, we caught 3,700 Hilsa, which we sold for Tk20 lakh. But we have incurred a loss of Tk50 lakh in the last three months due to the ban on fishing.
"And now, though Hilsa is available in the sea, fishing will be banned from 20 May 20."
"I don't know what will happen now," he added.
Voicing the same concerns as Hafiz, another fisherman Rahim said, "I'm worried about how we will survive and run our families."
On the issue, Delowar Hossain, general secretary of the district's Fishing Boat Owners' Association, said, "We urge the government to review the 65-day ban. Not only fishermen but also small traders and everyone involved in the fishing profession are affected. I urge the government to provide assistance to everyone involved in the fishing sector."
