Mahakalapara: In what is sure to bring smiles on the faces of fishermen and fish lovers the Hilsa fish was caught from the Gobari river in Kendrapara district after a long hiatus of 30 years, courtesy the cyclonic storm Yaas which recently hit the state.
Hilsa is known as ‘Ilishi’ in the local parlance and is a delicacy in almost every Odia household for its incredibly soft meat. The fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acid that prevents coronary heart diseases in humans.
The cyclonic storm Yaas might have caused much devastation in Kendrapara district but it also brought cheer to fishermen and fish lovers as the high tidal waves during the calamity pushed the Hilsa fish from the sea into the Gobari river.
During the storm, tidal waves rose above 10 feet and crossed the coast at many places. As a result, the fish entered into various rivers near the coastline of the state.
The availability of Hilsa in Gobari brought windfall gains for small and marginal fishermen as they had a good catch. The villagers living near the river were also seen spreading out their nets to catch the fish.
The sudden availability of Hilsa pushed its price in the market as fishermen sold the fish at over Rs 1,500 per kg to local traders. The traders then packed it in containers and transported it to Paradip and other parts of the state as well as Kolkata.
The local fishermen, who were struggling to earn their livelihood due to Covid induced lockdown and shutdown in the state, earned handsome profits. However, the high price made it difficult for locals to buy the fish for their households.
Thirty years back Hilsa was available in the Gobari river. However, with passage of time the availability of the fish in the river became a dream for fishermen.
The fish generally lives in groups in deep sea but enters the rivers whenever floodwater in Mahanadi flows into the sea through the river mouth.
PNN