Sales at Howrah’s fish market have been severely impacted by ongoing violence and protests in Bangladesh. On Thursday, officials reported a significant decline in the quantity of fish arriving from Bangladesh, leading to substantial losses for fish traders in Kolkata.
This has led to the halt of the import and export in the last four to five days. An average loss of crores of rupees has been incurred every day. Notably, the sale of popular fish varieties, including the highly sought-after Hilsa, has come to a standstill.
Syed Anwar Maqsood, Secretary of the Fish Importer’s Association, said “We are in the business of exporting and importing fish from Bangladesh. For the last one month, ever since protests have started there, the market has been affected. In these conditions in Bangaldesh, our export and import of fish have taken a hit.”
Previously, approximately 100 to 110 metric tonnes of various fish were exchanged daily between India and Bangladesh. However, Maqsood reported that this volume has plummeted, resulting in daily losses amounting to lakhs of rupees.
Maqsood said “Secondly, on the occasion of Durga Puja, Bangladesh used to give us special permission for Hilsa fish for one month every year, the action of which is being implemented from August. Our organizations used to start the process by writing to the Government of Bangladesh, the Government of India and in the month of September-October. We used to get permission for this Hilsa fish which was banned by the government till 2012. Every year during Durga Puja, we used to get permission for a month from the Bangladesh Government but now it seems that due to the situation in Bangladesh, I do not think that Hilsa fish will be available.”
Hilsa, known for its distinctive taste and sourced from the Padma River in Bangladesh, is a favorite among Bengalis. It is distributed widely across India, including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Guwahati, and also finds its way to international markets, including Europe, albeit in smaller quantities.
Maqsood anticipates potential losses running into crores, considering that the total volume of fish affected is around 200 metric tonnes. The association remains hopeful that conditions will improve in the coming weeks. Discussions are ongoing with counterparts in Bangladesh, though challenges remain, particularly concerning payment issues.
“We expect the situation to normalize within the next few weeks. We are in continuous dialogue with our counterparts in Bangladesh, but the situation remains unstable. Our payments are delayed, and the overall business outlook is uncertain,” Maqsood added.
He also requested the Government of India to consider the situation in Bangladesh and form a good relationship with the new government which will help in running the business well.
“This is our request to the Government of India that Bangladesh is our neighbouring country and India should form a good relationship with the new government that comes there so that the business can run well,” he said
(Inputs from ANI)