the demand for fish has increased Vishwakarma Puja and the Arandhan festival, commonly known as ranna puja, when fish, especially hilsa, are in high demand.
The prices of most fish varieties have increased by Rs 100 per kg in the last two days, while in the case of Hilsa it has increased by Rs 200-300 per kg. “The rise in fish prices is due to the yawning gap between the sudden increase in supply and demand. The supply line has been badly affected by the floods in the coastal areas. There is a delay of more than 3 days in supply,” said Amar Das, a fish trader at Lake Market.
Hilsa of 800-900 grams size, which was selling at Rs 1,700 a kg a week ago, is now selling at Rs 1,900-2,000 a kg. The price of parshe has also increased by Rs 150 per kg. But the prices are only on account of Arandhan festival and Vishwakarma puja. It is expected that the prices will come down in the next three-four days.
“We found it difficult to buy Hilsa. Prices suddenly soared to an unbelievable high. But the presence of Hilsa in the Arandhan festival is a long tradition. So, we burnt a big hole in a medium-sized pocket,” said Shelly Dasgupta, a housewife.
A major reason behind the demand-supply gap is the lack of supply lines from Basirhat, Canning, Sandeshkhali and Basanti where fisheries were washed away during the Yas. An official of the fisheries department said it would take six to nine months for supplies to resume from these fisheries.
Continuous supply of Hilsa smuggled from Bangladesh Prices of most varieties had softened. But, torrential rains led to floods and poor roads leading to delays in supply. Orissa and Andhra, two states on which fish-lovers Bengal Depends to some extent.
Meanwhile, Kishor Hilsa of Kakdwip has started filling water in the markets on demand. “Despite repeated warnings, the fishermen are making a ruckus by catching Kishore Hilsa with a fine net. This will have a detrimental effect on the lives of the fishermen community,” said Bijon Maity of Kakdweep Fishermen’s Association.
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