BALASORE: The price of Hilsa is shooting skyward this year, much to the resentment of the consumers. Hilsa, a delicacy, weighing between 500 and 700 gm was available for anything between Rs. 600 and Rs. 700 in the retail market here on Sunday. The fish weighing more than a kg were sold for over Rs. 1,000.The fishermen said the catch has been around 30 per cent less than the previous year’s, despite the fact that July to mid-October is considered the peak time for fishing. The catch hovers around two tonne a day, insufficient to meet the demands of the local market, fishermen rued. Limited stock and increase in demand have contributed to the price rise, said Manu Dalei, a trader. “While 30 per cent of the catch is retained in the State, the rest is shipped to West Bengal and North-Eastern states as it is lucrative,” he added. Sources in the Fisheries Department said with a dip in catch, number of trawlers operating in Balaramgadi and Kasaphal fishing bases have also decreased. As many as 330 trawlers and an equal number of motorboats operate in the bases, sources said. The scenario was different a decade back. The yield during this period at that time used to be more than 20 MT as compared to the present yield of two to five MT. Besides low catch, increase in the cost of fuel has led to price rise of hilsa, fishermen said. They also attributed the scarcity of hilsa to unbridled fishing during breeding season and scanty rainfall.
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