After the 22-day ban on catching mother hilsa ended on October 25, fishermen in Bhola ventured into the Meghna and Tentulia rivers with high hopes. Although their nets did not fill with hilsa as expected, they are now finding new optimism as large pangas fish are being caught in abundance. The fishermen say their disappointment has turned into relief, as these sizeable pangas are fetching good market prices.
According to local sources, pangas fish typically appear in the Meghna and Tentulia rivers of Bhola around this time of year, but this season the catch has been notably higher than in previous years.
On Tuesday, visits to several fish landing stations in Ilisha, Pakarmatha, Tulatali, and Bholarkhal in Bhola Sadar upazila revealed bustling activity, with hundreds of pangas fish being sold at each site. Most of the fish weigh between three and four kilograms, while some reach up to 10 to 12 kilograms. Depending on size, each fish sells for between Tk 2,000 and Tk 6,000.
Over the past three days, each landing station has sold between 200 and 300 pangas fish daily. Traders are purchasing the catches and transporting them to Dhaka, Khulna, and other regions, where they sell for even higher prices.
Hasan Sadek, a fisherman at Shibpur Fish Ghat, said that since the hilsa conservation ban ended, hilsa have been scarce in the rivers. “For the last three days, pangas have been appearing in large numbers. Yesterday I caught two big pangas while fishing for hilsa and sold them at Tk 4,650. Together, they weighed about eight kilograms,” he said.
Another fisherman, Harun Majhi, reported similar experiences. “I haven’t seen many hilsa, but I caught two pangas — one sold for Tk 3,900 and the other for Tk 1,700,” he said.
Fisherman Alomgir Majhi shared that the weeks following the hilsa ban had been financially difficult for many fishermen, who struggled with debts and family expenses. “Now, with the abundance of pangas in the rivers, our worries are easing. This morning I caught three large pangas and sold them for Tk 10,450. We haven’t seen this many pangas in four or five years,” he said. “If this continues for a few more weeks, we’ll be able to recover much of our losses.”
Fish trader Md. Jasim Uddin from Tulatali Ghat said that pangas fish appear in the Meghna and Tentulia rivers every year, though this year’s catch is significantly higher. “On Monday alone, over 300 large pangas were sold at this ghat, and nearly the same number again on Tuesday,” he said.
Bhola District Fisheries Officer Mohammad Iqbal Hossain explained that hilsa are usually scarce after the 22-day conservation campaign because the fish return to the sea after spawning. “However, this year, the Meghna and Tentulia rivers in Bhola are seeing a good number of large pangas instead. This is a promising sign for the fishermen,” he said.
