BSS, Rajshahi :
Live fishes especially the major carps are being sold at Rajshahi markets for the last couple of years and the practice might be the bright instance for the country.
When the people in general are anxious over frequent mixing of formalin with fishes and fruits, the good practice has drawn attention of many consumers.
According to sources, different preservatives especially formalin is mixed in fishes and fruits in a bid to keep those good and green. Many people became infected with various chronic diseases due to the malpractice.
The government conducts mobile courts at different market places, which fined the shops who are found guilty and destroyed the goods mixed with formalin.
To get rid from the odd situation, the local farmers and traders have started selling live fishes in earthen pot and drum with full of water.
“I’m very much happy over selling the live fish. I have record of selling up to 15 maunds of live fish like Catla, Rui, Mirka and Telapia a day,” says Ali Hossain, a retailer of Shaheb Bazar Fish Market.
Ahsan Habib, a fish farmer of Paba having 15 ponds, told BSS that he sells fish at wholesale market. Earlier, most of the fishes died during transportation from ponds to market. But now, time and situation has been changed based on demands of the consumers.
Habib says both demand and price of live fish are more than that of dead ones. So, the farmers and traders are selling live fish in the markets especially at Saheb Bazar, Court Bazar, Naodapara Bypass, Naohata, Dharusha, Kharkhori and Gangopara.
Besides the locals, many outside traders from Dhaka, Sylhet and Mymensingh and many other adjacent districts are also seen purchasing live fishes from the markets.
Saizuddin, a fish trader at Naohata Bazar, told BSS that the outside traders took away the live fishes on trucks. He says the local consumers have also become habituated in purchasing live fish.
District Fisheries Officer Golam Rabbani told BSS that around 50,000 tonnes of fish are produced from around 44,578 hectares of water bodies in the district. But, demand of fish in the district is about 48,000 tonnes. “Rajshahi might be the brand name of selling live fish,” he opined.
Many public and private level commercial banks particularly Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) provides loans to the growers to make the farming easier.
After farming fish, many people both urban and rural have become millionaire in the district and the commercial fish farming has been gradually increasing.
He says the matter of selling live fish in Rajshahi markets has created a new dimension as those are being transported to many other districts from here regularly.
The traders face manifold problems including harassment at different checkpoints during transportation and ultimately incur loss.
As a whole, the fish-laden trucks should be given priority and the policy planners should come forward to facilitate and promote the process.
Live fishes especially the major carps are being sold at Rajshahi markets for the last couple of years and the practice might be the bright instance for the country.
When the people in general are anxious over frequent mixing of formalin with fishes and fruits, the good practice has drawn attention of many consumers.
According to sources, different preservatives especially formalin is mixed in fishes and fruits in a bid to keep those good and green. Many people became infected with various chronic diseases due to the malpractice.
The government conducts mobile courts at different market places, which fined the shops who are found guilty and destroyed the goods mixed with formalin.
To get rid from the odd situation, the local farmers and traders have started selling live fishes in earthen pot and drum with full of water.
“I’m very much happy over selling the live fish. I have record of selling up to 15 maunds of live fish like Catla, Rui, Mirka and Telapia a day,” says Ali Hossain, a retailer of Shaheb Bazar Fish Market.
Ahsan Habib, a fish farmer of Paba having 15 ponds, told BSS that he sells fish at wholesale market. Earlier, most of the fishes died during transportation from ponds to market. But now, time and situation has been changed based on demands of the consumers.
Habib says both demand and price of live fish are more than that of dead ones. So, the farmers and traders are selling live fish in the markets especially at Saheb Bazar, Court Bazar, Naodapara Bypass, Naohata, Dharusha, Kharkhori and Gangopara.
Besides the locals, many outside traders from Dhaka, Sylhet and Mymensingh and many other adjacent districts are also seen purchasing live fishes from the markets.
Saizuddin, a fish trader at Naohata Bazar, told BSS that the outside traders took away the live fishes on trucks. He says the local consumers have also become habituated in purchasing live fish.
District Fisheries Officer Golam Rabbani told BSS that around 50,000 tonnes of fish are produced from around 44,578 hectares of water bodies in the district. But, demand of fish in the district is about 48,000 tonnes. “Rajshahi might be the brand name of selling live fish,” he opined.
Many public and private level commercial banks particularly Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) provides loans to the growers to make the farming easier.
After farming fish, many people both urban and rural have become millionaire in the district and the commercial fish farming has been gradually increasing.
He says the matter of selling live fish in Rajshahi markets has created a new dimension as those are being transported to many other districts from here regularly.
The traders face manifold problems including harassment at different checkpoints during transportation and ultimately incur loss.
As a whole, the fish-laden trucks should be given priority and the policy planners should come forward to facilitate and promote the process.
