NOAKHALI, Mar 9: A fish locally known as chewa (rubicusdus eelgoby) in Hatiya Upazila of the district has flooded local markets in the last two months.
Apart from the local markets, vendors are selling the fish on roadsides.
In the last few days, the picture has been found everywhere in Tomoroddi, Charchenga, Sagoria and Jahajmara Bazaars of Hatiya.
Per kilokram of chewa fish is selling at Taka 20 to 40. On Monday morning, the fish was sold at Taka 20 per kg at Tomoroddi Bazaar.
Akbar Hali, 45, a fish seller of Tomoroddi Bazaar said he did not see such low price of chewa fish before. Earlier, people used to buy per kg of the fish at Taka 100, and even at Taka 200 to 250. He is, however, surprised to see the huge production of chewa fish this time.
A fish seller informed that one kg of dry chewa fish (shutki) is sold at Taka 150 to 200. Many dried fish merchants are buying dried chewa fish and then preserving it or selling it to their customers. Shahadat, a dry fish trader of Tomoroddi Bazaar, said he bought one maund of chewa shutki at Taka 25,000 to 36,000 from several ghats like Moktairra Ghat of Jahajmara, Amtoli and Nijhum Dwip. Like him, hundreds of shutki traders are buying dried chewa fish worth lakhs of taka, he added.
In the factories of different cities, people make fish feed with dry chewa fish powder. There is a huge demand of dry chewa fish in different cities like Chattogram and Mymensingh.
