PARADIP: With the Covid threat looming large and fishermen refraining from venturing into the sea, there is a decline in Hilsa catch by about 90 per cent.
The shortage of Hilsa, the ‘Queen of fish’, has led to a steep price rise, which has been accentuated by the ban on sale of mutton and chicken by the Paradip municipality for last 10 days following a Supreme Court order.
The fish is being sold at exorbitant rates of over Rs 2,000 per kg in the markets.
Earlier, nearly 700 trawlers used to go to the sea to catch fish but with shortage of crew members, hike in diesel price and a raging pandemic, only about 150 to 180 trawlers are operating.
Lamenting the crisis, a fish trader Shanti Raj Sarkar said, “A lot of fishermen have not yet returned from their native places due to the Covid situation.
For a single visit, a trawler spends nearly Rs 30,000 but we get catch worth Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000. So we are forced to sell Hilsa at rates of Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 per kg to compensate for the losses.”
Besides a slump in fishing activities, other associated livelihoods like those of fish traders, ice factory owners and weavers fishing nets are also bearing the brunt of coronavirus threat.
Executive officer of Paradip Municiplaity Duryodhan Patel said that the price hike was fuelled by the rise in demand for fish after the civic body banned sale of mutton and chicken from August 15 to August 24. “The ban has been lifted from Tuesday,” he added.