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High fuel costs push up hilsa prices
Published : Monday, 14 September, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Observer online report
High fuel costs are raising the cost of hilsa fishing in Chattogram, with fishermen and traders saying the increased expenses are affecting market prices.
According to the district fisheries office, Chattogram has 5,676 registered fishing trawlers and more than 53,000 fishermen, including around 47,000 who go to sea to catch hilsa.
A trawler uses an average of 2,000 litres of diesel per trip. If each makes 10 trips during the hilsa season, the total requirement for the registered trawlers could reach around 113.52 million litres.
In addition, around 10,000 small and large mechanised boats operate along the coast and the Karnaphuli River, including in Fishery Ghat, Firingibazar, Kattali and Patenga and in coastal areas of Anwara, Banshkhali, Mirsharai and Sitakunda. These boats also depend on fuel for fishing.
Diesel prices rose by Tk 10 per litre to Tk 115 in April this year. Although fuel prices were adjusted again in June, the price of diesel remained unchanged.
Didarul Islam, a boat owner from Raipur union in Anwara, said he owned two boats and was getting less hilsa this year than in previous years.
“Fuel is also expensive. Each of my boats needs around 40 litres of fuel. But rough seas have made weather conditions unsuitable for fishing,” he said, adding that higher operating costs were affecting fish prices.
Imtiaz Shakil, a fish trader at Gahira Chibatali Ghat, said traders were having to buy fish from fishermen at higher prices because their costs had increased.
A visit to Gahira Ghat found small hilsa being sold at Tk 1,800 for four fish weighing around 1kg in total, while two medium-sized fish weighing around 1kg were priced at Tk 1,400. A large hilsa weighing 800 grams to 1kg was selling for Tk 1,800, while a fish weighing around 1.5kg was priced at Tk 2,300.
According to the district fisheries office, the hilsa production target for Chattogram this season is 17,000 metric tonnes. The district produced 15,256 metric tonnes of hilsa in the 2024-25 fiscal year, around 5,884 metric tonnes less than the previous fiscal year.
District Fisheries Officer Salma Begum said fuel was a significant component of the cost of hilsa fishing.
“Boats use more fuel when they have to remain at sea for longer periods. So, higher fuel costs increase the overall cost of fishing, which can affect market prices,” she said.
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
