In peak monsoon noon skies over Barishal gathered clouds, but the city’s fish markets lit up with smiles as hilsa prices dropped sharply following a surge in sea catch. Within just two days, wholesale prices of river-caught hilsa fell by Tk 200 to Tk 400 per kilogram, while sea hilsa prices declined by Tk 1,500 to Tk 2,000 per maund.
At Barishal’s Port Road fish market, rows of trawlers laden with ice-packed sea hilsa lined the docks. Export-quality one-kilogram sea hilsa now sells for Tk 2,000 per kg, down from Tk 2,400 just two days earlier. Medium-sized hilsa weighing 700–990 grams fetch Tk 1,700 per kg, compared to Tk 2,000 a few days ago. Smaller hilsa are being sold at Tk 1,300 per kg, down from Tk 1,500.
Buyers welcomed the price relief. Shuli Begum, a resident of Rupatali, said she paid Tk 2,100 for a one-kilogram hilsa today, compared to Tk 2,500 last week.
Zohir Shikder, owner of Abdullah Fish Traders at Port Road, pointed to the fresh hauls with excitement, noting that the peak sea fishing season is delivering abundant catches bound for Dhaka, which in turn is driving down river hilsa prices and making fish more affordable in city markets.
According to data from the Patharghata Fish Landing Centre (BFDC), a total of 15 metric tonnes of hilsa arrived on Friday from both sea and river sources. Larger sea hilsa sold for Tk 85,000 per maund, while river hilsa of similar size fetched Tk 90,000. Smaller sea hilsa were sold at Tk 68,000 per maund and river hilsa at Tk 75,000. The increased supply from the sea has reduced hilsa prices by Tk 1,500 to Tk 2,000 per maund.
