Price of the silver fish has been within reach of the common man thanks to a steady supply. Picture by Anup Bhattacharya

With supply from Bangladesh due to resume from the second week of September after a month-long embargo, traders at Howrah Fish Market are expecting prices of hilsa to drop. “Local supply from Diamond Harbour, Raidighi, Digha, Odisha and Paradip is good. Ilish is already being sold at a cheaper rate in local markets. Once the supply from Bangladesh starts from September 10, the price of ilish will come down even further,” said Ravi Kumar, general manager, Mashud and Brothers Ltd.

The fish traders of Howrah fish market said that local markets were flooded with ilish. “Every day, five to six trucks full of ilish are reaching Howrah Fish Market. The wholesale rate for a 750 gram fish is Rs 350 per kg,” said a fish trader. Now an ilish weighing 700 to 750 gram is sold for Rs 400 to Rs 450 in the local markets. Hilsas weighing less at 350 to 400 grams are being sold for Rs 250 per kg. “But most of the people prefer to buy bigger fish as they taste better,” said Ashok Shaw, secretary, Howrah Fish Merchants’ Association.

According to fish traders, the trawlers venturing out into the sea are returning with a good catch. “Each trawler brought back 100 to 120 kg of ilish after each trip,” said a trader. Fish traders said that the catch from Padma too is huge this year.

Amrita Ghosh