Naturally dried fish in coastal areas of Cox’s Bazar are becoming hard to get in the wake of a sharp increase in the use of chemicals to dry fish.
For long, fish have been dried in the sun in the coastal areas and no chemical would be applied.
But traders are now more inclined to use chemicals to dry fish, arguing that the availability of fish in the sea has dropped but prices have gone up. They also said workers who process dried fish now demand more money.
But Nazirartek Fishermen Cooperative Society President Aman Ullah said using chemicals to dry fish involves no harmful impact.
He said a small amount of salt and chilli powder is used to properly preserve fish for longer periods.
Md Parvez, a fisherman, said costs associated with the natural process of drying fish have increased.
“This is why fishermen, instead of drying fish in the sun, now prefer selling it to a mahal, a field where fish is dried using chemicals,” he said.
Abu Taher, who works at a mahal in Nazirartek, said there are some fishermen who still dry fish in the sun but they are at a distinct disadvantage because of their lack of knowledge about how to use chemicals.
“These are people who are gradually changing the profession they have been in for long, for generations in some cases. Local people now see an acute crisis of naturally-processed dried fish and are compelled to consume fish dried using chemicals,” he said.
Ahmed Sharif, a dried fish trader in Bazarghata, said it is now almost impossible to get naturally-dried fish because of the prevalence of the use of chemicals.
“Because naturally-processed fish cost more, consumers have also become reluctant to buy them,” he said.
Councillor of Cox’s Bazar municipality, Akhter Kamal, said the practice of keeping fish in fishing trawlers to dry it in the sun is practically obsolete.
“Dried fish in now in great demand both at home and abroad and that is why fish is now increasingly dried in mahals using chemicals,” said Kamal, also a dried fish trader.
Dr Arup Datta Bappy, vice-principal of Cox’s Bazar Medical College, said the use of chemicals in dried fish could lead to many diseases, including ulcer and cancer.
Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md Ali Hossain said he was unaware of the use of chemicals to dry fish in mahals.
“We will look into the matter soon and mobile court drives will be conducted,” he added.