Hilsa glut drives prices down after 22-day ban

The abundance of hilsa in coastal rivers has triggered a drop in the prices of the popular fish in Dhaka after the government lifted a fishing ban during its breeding season.

Visits to different fish markets in the capital revealed that a hilsa weighing from 600gm to 1kg was being sold between Tk 600 and Tk 900. The price ranged from Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,200 before the ban.

The 22-day ban on catching hilsa in the Bay of Bengal ended on Oct 30.

Fish markets in Dhaka are brimming with hilsa since the ban was lifted, Ahad Ali, a fish trader at Bara Moghbazar, told bdnews24.com.

"Due to the sudden surge in supply, the wholesale price has dropped. A hilsa that was sold at Tk 800 yesterday is being sold at Tk 600 today. ”

“Many who had caught hilsa before the ban could not sell the catch due to the ban. Those fishes have also been added to increase the supply,” said the trader.

"I find the price of hilsa is lower than ever. I haven't seen such low prices in recent times," said 'Sajeeb', a local resident.

"I wanted to get a pair for Tk 1,500 due to the drop in prices. But the seller handed me an extra pair for that amount," said Shaheen Ahmed, 50, a local shopper.

'Titas', a trader at the Basabo market, was selling medium-sized hilsa at Tk 600-700 and larger ones at Tk 600-900.