Bhubaneswar: Good news for hilsa (Ilisi) lovers. Although Bangladesh played the spoilsport by banning export of Padma river hilsa (or Ilisi) with Durga Puja round the corner, back-to-back low pressures in the Bay of Bengal have driven shoals of the prized fish towards Odisha coast.
According to reports, commercial trawlers and individual fishermen on Balasore coast are netting huge quantity of hilsa these days. In the backdrop of the Bangladesh ban, this has brought a smile on their faces as the bumper catch will help them reap maximum profit during the puja season.
Hilsa which is known as the ‘king of fish’ is in great demand among fish lovers for its unique taste and flavour. The Bangladesh government is stated to have imposed the restrictions to ensure sufficient availability of the fish for residents in that country. Therefore, it has directed its Commerce Ministry to stop export of hilsa to India.
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Sources said following the arrival of shoals of hilsa off Balasore coast, fishermen are risking their lives and venturing into deep sea. The low pressure-triggered rainfall, coupled with the cyclonic situation and favourable temperature have been conducive for the migration of the fish to Odisha coast.
As a result, large numbers of hilsa from Myanmar and Bangladesh coasts on the Bay of Bengal are migrating towards the river mouth near Balasore, and also Digha coasts in West Bengal.
Sources said large quantity of hilsa are presently netted at Udayapur, Talasari, Ransinghpur, Kirtania, Choumukh, Dagra, Bahabalpur, Kashaphal on Balasore coast as well as in Digha, Shankarpur, Chandpur, Mandarmani, Junaput, Petua, Kakadweep, Sagar island, Namkhana in West Bengal and being auctioned at jetties of both the states.
After auction, the stock is transported to various towns in Odisha, as well as Kolkata and other places. Large size hilsa are also transported to many big cities across the country.
The state fisheries department has banned catching of hilsa fish below 300 gms, but trawler operators and fishermen are said to be defying the ban and sending the catch to the local markets for sale.
Small hilsa fish weighing around 300 grams are being sold at anything between Rs 300 to 400 in Balasore, Bhograi and Baliapal markets, while the fish weighing over 500 gms are sold for Rs 800-Rs 1000 a piece.
Meanwhile, Fishery Officer (in-charge) Ananta Kumar Jena at Bhograi expressed concerns that fishermen using trawlers, mechanised boats and dinghies to catch fish in deep sea are risking their lives by not installing distress alert transmitter (DAT) on their vessels, and not wearing life jackets.
PNN