KENDRAPARA: In what is sure to bring smiles on the faces of fish lovers, the price of Hilsa has gone down in the district owing to good catch in the last few days.
There has been a sudden spurt in availability of the most sought after fish in the markets of Kendrapara, Marsaghai, Rajnagar, Pattamundai and other places of the district. Jagannath Behera, a fish seller of Mahakalapada said the price of Hilsa has come down from Rs 800 per kg a week back to Rs 450-Rs 500 per kg now. Huge quantities of Hilsa were delivered to fish markets in Kendrapara on Sunday.
“Due to adequate rains in the last few days, Hilsa fish came in large numbers to the shore in search of saline water,” said president of district unit of Odisha Traditional Fish Workers Union Tusharkanta Sardar.
People rushed to fish landing centres at Kharinashi and Jamboo to purchase Hilsa. “It is the best time buy the fish. We hope the prices come down to Rs 200-Rs 300 soon,” said Binayak Swain, a local.
Hilsa’s peculiar habitat makes it impossible to breed it artificially through aquaculture, unlike other fish. The adult Hilsa swims several kilometres upstream to fresh water from the sea for spawning and returns to saline water after that the eggs hatch in fresh water and the sub-adult Hilsa flows back downstream into the sea through the river mouths of Mahanadi and others during the rainy season, said deputy director, fisheries (marine) Basant Dash.
He said the Fisheries department has banned seine nets, gill nets and zero mess nets of less than half inch size to protect baby Hilsas.