The economy and ecology of the Tk one lakh fish
There has been a recent surge in the number of big fishes being caught. What is the reason behind this boom and where do these fishes eventually end up?
On a chilling January midnight, a band of fishermen floating over the River Surma roll up their seemingly heavy nets. The experienced fishermen assume something big is coming up. Hurrah! It is a giant Baghair. The big catch will bring big money!
That very morning, the 120-kilogram Baghair landed at Sylhet's Laalbazar fish market auction. One certain wholesaler bought the catfish at Tk85,000. As there was no single buyer interested in the whole fish, the fish trader resold it the following day in pieces, priced at Tk1,500 per kg, meaning that the whole fish was priced at Tk1,80,000.
According to Lalbazar-based fish trader Ala Uddin, during winter, the fish market is flooded with varieties bred in the Haor belt.
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"If there is big fish on sale, it is common for local family members of Bangladeshi expatriates living in London, or big businesses, to buy the whole thing. They bargain very little and pay the price with ready cash. In case there is no single buyer for the whole fish, on that very day, we sell slices of the fish at a per kg rate, " Ala Uddin claimed. In late September last year, he sold a 100kg Baghair for Tk1,00,000.
Each time a giant fish lands at a fish market, it attracts a huge crowd. There, some are curious onlookers while others are potential buyers. To the fish traders, however, buyers who can snap up the whole fish alone always get the topmost priority. Those who single-handedly purchase such a giant fish seldom visit the market. They make the purchase over the phone and the product is delivered to their doorstep.
Traditionally, bagging the biggest fish in the fish market is considered to be a symbol of aristocracy. Fisherfolk know very well about this tradition passed on from generation to generation. That's why every winter the fishers operating around the prominent freshwater fish hubs in the country sail their country boats in search of fish at midnight, defying the shivering cold. Usually, the water level wanes and the habitat of the big fishes shrink during the winter. Fish delicacy enthusiasts wait for this season all year round.
Despite being nearly extinct due to habitat loss, the news of giant Boal, Catla, Pangas, Baghair, Rita and other similar varieties getting caught regularly is interesting to biodiversity conservationists. 2021 headlines like '100kg Baghir caught in Kushiara river' in September, '15kg Boal caught in Brahmaputra' and '24kg Pungas caught in Padma' in October, 'Charbhadrashan fishermen caught 20kg Catla in Padma' in November, are fascinating to consumers and traders alike. Headlines like these have appeared as recently as this month. However, capturing a giant fish is not a casual affair.
Alhaz Sheikh, a fisherman from Goalanda upazila of Rajbari district, along with five of his coworkers caught an 18kg Catla in the Padma last month. The fish was auctioned off at Tk25,500 and the wholesaler retailed it to a rich businessman with a profit of Tk5,000.
"Capturing a big fish is always a momentous occasion. We know that some wealthy buyers are waiting for the item. If we set a legal net (made of nylon fibre) we cannot trap a big fish all the time. It depends on luck," Alhaz told The Business Standard (TBS) recently.
During the fishing season, fishermen like Alhaz cast their net in suitable fish pockets in the Padma. Midnight is the prime time for fishing. The catches land at the famous Goalanda fish hub at dawn. Within 9:00 am, most of the fish are auctioned off. Then the wholesalers start advertising the products.
Fish wholesaler Chandu Mollah, owner of Goalanda-based Chandni arifa matsya arot (fish warehouse), uses different mediums to contact the customers. He calls the rich customers (from his list) over the phone. He posts videos and still pictures of the live fish on his Facebook page. The fish trader does not need to export fish to the Dhaka-based wet markets.
"Fish trade runs on a day to day basis here. I don't need to preserve the products for the next day. It's a very competitive market. Most often, fish are sold soon after being captured in the river. The news spreads like viral content. Industrialists and big businesses, either in-person or over the phone, purchase the expensive fish. If the purchase is made through a phone call, then I provide home delivery service," Chandu Mollah said.
The middleman added that in case the delivery point is at a distance, ice is applied to preserve the perishable item. However, some buyers do not prefer chilled fish delivery as they think such preservatives wear away organic freshness, he said.
Rajbari District Fisheries Officer Mashiur Rahman recently told TBS that for the last couple of years fishermen have been finding big sized fish in winter. The Goalanda Ghat is a big landing station for Hilsa during the monsoon. According to the fisheries officer, giant fish were seldom available at Goalanda even a decade ago.
"The district fisheries office regularly monitors fishing around an estuary in the Padma. There are 1,500 fisher families. During the bans on fishing, no fisherman can cast nets in the water. I think the fish species grow bigger due to restricted fishing," Mashiur said.
He added that there is a plan to support the fisher families with more aid during the ban for sustainable conservation of the estuary.
Principal Scientific Officer at Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute's riverine centre, Md Anisur Rahman, elaborated on the reasons behind the abundance of big fish. He also agreed that restricted fishing is the key.
He said that the abundance of matured Baghairs and other similar big sized fishes is a ray of hope for some endangered species of fish.
For example, fishing of Baghair and Rita is prohibited by the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act 2012 as the population density of the two fish species, among some others, had been decreasing due to overfishing and water pollution.
He credited the regulatory bodies for imposing a strict restriction on casting the 'Behundi' net. Fishermen generally cast the Behundi net against water currents and eventually catch lots of fish, irrespective of their age and size. This is extremely harmful.
"If a fish can complete two or three life cycles, it will be mature enough. Not only that, the fish can migrate and breed more. The use of illegal nets only shortens fish's life cycle," Anisur said.
Moreover, the fisheries authorities, along with the law enforcement agencies, impose two periodical bans: between 1 March-30 April and 22 days in October, to protect breeding Hilshas. "The restrictions, though designed to prevent Hilsa overfishing, in consequence, protect other fish species as well. Besides, the Covid-19 restrictions on vessel movement also helped reduce water pollution and the fish have grown up to be healthier," he added.
During several field visits, the senior fish researcher learnt that the fishermen, once aggrieved at restricted fishing, are now praising the measures as they can catch value-added mature fish.
Big fish catches make both fishers and fish enthusiasts happy. One businessman from Old Dhaka, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that the practice of presenting a giant fish on a large tray during a wedding ceremony is a tradition of Old Dhaka.
The father of a married daughter feels proud to arrange delicacies of big fish when his son-in-law visits his house. During a family feast, the presence of big fish curry on plates adds an aura of aristocracy to the event. As the fish is being served, the head of the family proudly reveals where the big fish was sourced from. For example, that person would say "I have collected the fish from Goalanda."
"At times, I have been unable to collect a big fish even though I had the money. There was a scarcity of large-size fish. Fortunately, a month ago, I found a big Boal weighing around 20kg. It cost Tk40,000. But it was not a big deal because I needed it to serve my guests at a family feast. It was a prestige issue," the businessman said.
