Fishermen throng Padma-Meghna rivers to catch hilsa

Fishermen have returned to the Padma-Meghna rivers in large numbers following the end of the 22-day ban imposed to protect mother hilsa during their breeding season.

Thousands of fishermen have resumed fishing, hoping to make good catches of the prized silver fish. Fishing boats are now moving across the 70-kilometre stretch of the Padma-Meghna rivers in Chandpur.

The first catches have already started arriving at riverside fish depots, bringing them back to life after weeks of inactivity. Fresh hilsa, along with pangas and other varieties of fish, are being brought ashore in plastic trays, while auctioneers' calls have once again filled the fish landing centres.

Traders and workers, who remained largely idle during the three-week ban, are now busy buying and selling fish. However, hilsa prices have remained almost unchanged, with larger fish continuing to sell at pre-ban rates.

The scene of fishing and trading activities was witnessed firsthand at Harina fish ghat in Chandpur Sadar upazila between 7am and 11am today.

Many fishermen ventured into the Padma-Meghna rivers after midnight on Thursday (October 29), and their boats began arriving at the fish ghat adjacent to Harina ferry ghat at daybreak.

There are around 20 small and large hilsa depots at the ghat. Fishermen bring their catches to these depots, where the fish are auctioned and sold within a short time. Very little fish is preserved for later sale at the ghat.

Two categories of traders purchase fresh hilsa from the landing centre - local retailers who sell the fish in Chandpur town and wholesale traders who transport it to the larger Station fish landing centre.

Litan Tapadar, a fisherman from Gobindapur village near the ghat, said he went fishing at night and sold hilsa worth Tk 12,000 at the ghat at dawn.

"If we can continue to catch hilsa like this, we will be able to repay our debts within a few days," he said, expressing hope that hilsa would remain available throughout the rest of the season.

Another fisherman, Abul Kalam Khan, said seven fishermen went to the river at midnight and sold their catch for Tk 15,000. They planned to return to the river after taking a short break.

He, however, apprehended that hilsa availability might decline within the next few days.

Depot owner Jahangir Hossain said hilsa prices were unlikely to fall soon as demand remained high.

A one-kilogram hilsa is selling at Tk 2,500 to Tk 2,600, while fish weighing 400 to 500 grams are being sold at Tk 1,300 to Tk 1,500 per kilogram. Smaller hilsa weighing 200 to 300 grams are selling at Tk 500 to Tk 650 per kilogram, he said.

He added that some fishermen were also catching pangas alongside hilsa. Large pangas are selling at Tk 1,200 per kilogram, while smaller ones fetch Tk 900 to Tk 1,000.

Hilsa prices may decline if catches increase in the coming days, he added.

Another depot owner, Md Selim, said fish started arriving at the ghat this morning. The actual trend in hilsa arrivals would become clearer by today and tomorrow, as in previous years the volume of arrivals declined after the initial two days.

Depot owner Ibrahim Mia said larger hilsa were arriving in greater numbers following the ban, while the supply of smaller fish remained very low.

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Although hilsa catches were still limited, fishermen were able to recover some of their losses by catching pangas alongside hilsa, he said.

Veteran fish trader Sirajul Islam Soyal said the rivers used to be abundant with hilsa at this time of the year. He regretted that enforcement drives had not produced the expected results, as some fishermen continued to catch mother hilsa.

Chandpur Sadar Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Mirza Omar Faruque told BSS that fishermen were now benefiting from the strict implementation of two drives aimed at protecting jatka (young hilsa) and mother hilsa.

He said fishermen were also catching pangas alongside hilsa and suggested that the government could introduce a project for pangas farming.

Such an initiative could help pangas contribute to the national economy in the same way as hilsa, he added.