Paradip: Catching a rare variety of marine fish known as Ghol or Telia fish has changed the fate of some fishermen and boat owners in this port town as it brought them a fortune. Even a single catch of Ghol fish always hogs the headline for the astounding price it fetches in the market. The fishermen in a majority of the boats and trawlers are now mostly catching Ghol fish after restrictions were lifted allowing the fishermen to venture into the sea to catch fish from June 15. The matter came to fore after a fisherman caught a 3.850kg Ghol fish and sold it for Rs 13, 500, Friday.
The fish is auctioned at a much higher price than other varieties of fish. Fish export agencies are making a beeline to buy the fish known for its high medicinal and therapeutic value at the fish depots at Baliput and near Nehru bungalow in this port town. A kg of Ghol fish is sold at Rs 6,000.
Last year, a boat owner was able to catch 18 Ghol fishes and earned Rs 23 lakh by selling them. Reports said Telia or Ghol fish is found in deep sea. Its biological name is protonibea diacanthus. It is also known as black-spotted croaker. The fish is found in the Indo-Pacific region and is rich in iron, iodine, magnesium, fluoride, selenium and taurine contents. The fish variety is sought after for medicinal values by pharmaceutical companies which make use of its fin as well as skin. It is also used in making various medicinal products, cosmetics and in wine manufacturing industry.
Marine fisheries officer Manoranjan Mohapatra said the fish lives in the deep sea and several of its body parts like intestine, fins and air bladders are used in pharmaceutical industry as it is said to be rich in Omega fatty acid. The fish traders take it from Paradip and process it at Kolkata or Visakhapatnam. They take out its intestine, fins and air bladders and sell the flesh in open market. The flesh of the fish is sold like that of common fish. It is all a matter of luck to catch this exotic and rare fish, they added.