Despite it being the peak season of Ilish, fishermen are yet to start getting good catches of the popular fish in the coastal rivers.
The price of the fish has gone beyond purchasing capability of the commoners because of its poor netting.
According to UNB report, a number of fishermen said ilish is not being netted in abundance in the coastal rivers as the fish is not available.
They are frustrated as only small catches of the popular fish are being netted in the peak season.
With the small amounts caught per trip in the deep sea, fishermen fail to realise even the cost that includes fuel, food and others. Consequently, families of fishermen are passing hard days.
Sources concerned said this time last year, some 20 to 25 trawlers loaded with hilsa came to KB Fish Landing Station, main ilish selling centre of Bagerhat, every day.
But the situation is quite different early in the hilsa season due to poor catching of the fish.
Lulu Mollah, a trader at the fish landing station on the town protection embankment, said they were getting one to two maunds of ilish against the daily demand of 500 maunds.
He added that the netted hilsa is not good in size.
Sheikh Idris Ali, president of Upakulio Matsyajibi Samity, said fishermen were facing financial hardship due to poor ilish cacthes.
He said during this period in previous years, four to five truckloads of hisla were sent to Jessore, Magura, Faridpur, Khulna, Rajshahi, Kaliganj, Jhenaidah and Kushtia from the fish landing station, adding that because of scantly supply, the fish can not be sent to the districts this year.
Besides, the fish export to India from the landing station has registered a fall this year compared to the last year for the same reason, said the fish trader.
While visiting the main fish markets in Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira, this correspondent found ilish traders were passing very idle time.
Another fish trader Arup Kumar said the market price of ilish was three times higher this year compared to the last year.
The biggest size ilish fish weighing more than one kg each sells at Tk45,000-50,000 per maund while those were sold at between Tk35,000 and 40,000 last year.
Small size Hilsa fish equivalent to 700 grames sells at Tk 35,000 per maund while it was between Tk15000-2000 last year, he said.