S A Shofiee, Sylhet :
Fish supply has declined in different markets of Sylhet city, including the district. Some verities were not available at all.
On an average fish prices soared by 15 to 20 per cent a kg during last few weeks. Hilsha is selling at Tk 400 to Tk 800 a kg. Ruhi at Tk 200 to Tk 300 a kg, Katla at Tk 250 to Tk 350 a kg, Telapia at Tk 120 to Tk 160 a kg and big sized Pangash at Tk 150 to Tk 200 a kg, shrimp at Tk 300 to Tk 400 per kg. Small fishes, including, Mola, Puti, Kagchi, Chela and small Tengra are also selling at high prices.
Due to poor supply of fish, its prices have gone beyond the purchasing capacity of the city dwellers specially the low income group.
A small portion (250 grams) of any of these small fishes is selling at Tk 60 to Tk 90. A day-labourer Askir Ali of mosjid market under Dakshin Surma police station in the city said that he had dropped fish item from his family’s eating menu as the fish prices have already gone beyond his purchasing capacity.
Habibur Rahman, a fish retailer of Lal Bazar under Sylhet city said that ponds, beels, marshes, and even rivers are drying up seriously in the district.
He added that fish scarcity would be more acute in the district in future if re-excavation programme is not taken up soon at private or government level.
Shamim Ahmed, a fish farmer said that most of the fishermen are facing financial problem. They have no nets and boats of their own and have to borrow money from the local money lenders at high rate of interest. Immediate steps are needed to protect the traditional profession of the fishermen in the greater national interest.
District Fisheries Officer, Sylhet said, drastic fall in water level in these sources of water bodies, inadequate rainfall and heavy siltation contributed to the decline of different varieties of indigenous fish. Application of chemical fertilisers and harmful pesticides on agriculture- lands along the rivers, reservoirs, derelict ponds and water bodies is also causing destruction of fish production.
It is mentionable that out of these uncultivated ponds, 70 per cent are under joint ownership due to inheritance and hence more cares and the ponds gradually got silted and dried up, he added. In the past there were many rivers, canals, beels, reservoirs, ponds in the district. The water bodies abounded with different varieties of fish in the bay gone years. Most of them disappeared gradually due to siltation, lack of dredging programmed and maintained.
Due to continued siltation and random lifting of water for irrigation purpose, most of the water bodies dried up even before the advent of summer season. Besides, most of the marshy lands have turned into cultivable lands for IRRI and Boro crops. As a result, breeding of fish is decreasing alarmingly. Moreover, a huge quantity of fish fry is being washed away by flood water every year, he said.
