The fishing community of Cox's Bazar is very happy with business, catching ilish in swarms. Fishing trawlers are returning to the shore full of ilish and other fish, bringing down prices to a tolerable level.
Once-deserted fish warehouses and markets of the district are now buzzing with fishermen, traders and buyers from morning to night.
Visiting Cox's Bazar Fisheries Landing Station, UNB found the place in a celebratory mood. After the onslaught of Cyclone Sitrang and a 22-day ban on ilish catching, hundreds of fishing trawlers are arriving at the station with tons of ilish every day.
No one seems to have time for doing anything else at the landing station. Some were loading fish into warehouses, some were breaking ice, while others were arranging fish in baskets. Many traders were also seen sending truckloads of ilish to different parts of the country after getting expected prices.
Some fishermen said they had to face acute hardship due to being unable to catch fish for the previous couple of weeks, but now they are feeling much more optimistic.
“Everyone in the fish business will make profit this time as ilish is getting caught in massive amounts. We'll be able to export ilish to other countries after meeting our own demand,” said Osman Gani Tutul, president of Cox's Bazar Fishery Ghat Fish Traders Association.
On November 1, a total of 18 tons of ilish arrived at the landing station, compared to 12 tons the previous day.
By way of complaint, fishermen said around 400-500 Indian fishing trawlers catch ilish from the bay despite a ban on doing so, which is eating into the amount of ilish caught by the local fishermen.
Meanwhile, ilish was selling at Tk400-Tk600 per kg at the district's fishery ghat. Traders hoped that more trawlers coming with the fish from the Bay will further lower the price.
“The amount of ilish in the Bay has multiplied due to the government ban. The ban has also resulted in the increased amount of breeding of the fish. Fishermen are returning to the shore happy due to favourable weather in the coast. I hope they'll exceed their target of ilish catching this year,” said Md Badruddoza, Cox's Bazar fisheries officer.
