PARADIP: Falling catch of Hilsa, the king of fish, has cast a dark shadow on the fortunes of the fishermen in Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts.
The yield has dipped by 70 per cent in the last 10 years, causing acute shortage of the delectable fish and resultant skyrocketing of prices year after year.
Ten years back, hilsa yield in the two districts was about 15,000 tonne per year. But it has come down to 625.06 tonne in 2014- 2015. Similarly, 609.60 tonne was registered in 2015-2016, 653.73 tonne in 2016-2017, 1476.43 tonne in 2017-2018 and 1644.79 tonne in 2018-2019.
The dwindling population has pushed the price of savoury fish. While small size hilsa is being sold betweenRs 800 andRs 1000 per kg in Paradip, bigger fish is priced atRs 1000 toRs 1500 per kg.
Earlier, Paradip and its nearby fish markets were flooded with basketfuls of hilsa fish during rainy season. But now that is a rare sight. Even if hilsa fishes are spotted, most of them are small in size.
During rainy season, fishermen generally find hilsa in abundance at the confluence of river mouth of Mahanadi and the Bay of Bengal. But this year, the rain playing hide and seek has impacted the yield, said fisherman Sukant Behera.
According to sources, rampant fishing of mother and juvenile hilsa has led to dwindling catch. Environmentalists said water pollution and excess use of licensed fishing boats and trawlers are other major causes of the decline. Release of effluent from different industries to water bodies has caused the depletion of marine fishes including hilsa.
Assistant Director of Fisheries (Marine) Manas Ranjan Sahoo, however, said, “The last two years have witnessed a rise in hilsa catch due to suitable climate and several measures taken by the department.”