Hilsa is now available in the district’s wholesale markets. But its supply is insufficient. So its price is high.

The fishers have been catching hilsa in the Meghna and Padma rivers since Saturday midnight after the 22-day ban on netting, marketing and transporting the fish that began on October 7 and ended on October 28.

Chandpur’s largest fish market, Boro Station Fish Ghat, has now become busy.

Visiting the market, this correspondent was informed that around six thousand maunds of hilsa had been brought to the market by trawlers and cargo ships till Saturday afternoon.

However, this amount of hilsa is not enough, said Fish Merchants Association President Manik Jamader.

He added that the quantity of hilsa brought from the Padma river was not sufficient as well and it would not be more than four to five maunds.

“The supply of hilsa may increase in the days to come,” he hoped.

The prices of the fish are also comparatively high in Boro Station Fish Ghat.

A medium size hilsa is being sold at Tk 800 to 900 per kilogram, while a one kg hilsa sells at Tk 1,000 to 1,100. And a hilsa weighing 2 to 2.5 kg is sold at Tk 1500 per kg in this market.

Fish markets have also started selling hilsa fish. But the price is not yet affordable. So, many hilsa fish lovers are now disappointed as the price in the retail market is too high.

A 22-day government ban on catching, selling, hoarding and transporting hilsa in Bangladesh started on October 7 to save mother hilsa during the peak breeding season.

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