A large poppah fish was caught off the western side of Saint Martin’s Island in the Bay of Bengal, drawing significant attention due to its high market value. The 32.8-kilogram fish was netted on Saturday by a trawler owned by Abdul Gani, a resident of the island’s Westpara area. Local traders have already quoted a price of Tk 750,000 for the fish.
According to the trawler owner, the poppah fish was caught around 8:30 a.m. in a “laksha net” east of Saint Martin’s. Gani said he had set out on Friday with eight crew members for a fishing trip. The trawler anchored in the designated area, and nets were cast overnight. When the crew hauled in the nets the next morning, they found the large poppah fish along with a medium-sized red jewfish. The catch was later taken to the fisheries ghat at Saint Martin’s jetty, where a local trader offered Tk 750,000. Gani said he would sell the fish if a higher price is offered.
Locally known as “kala poppa,” the species is highly prized. Its swim bladder is exported to Thailand and Singapore and is used to produce specialized surgical sutures. This unique by-product has led to the fish’s high commercial value.
Teknaf Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Delwar Hossain said the swim bladder of poppah fish is used to manufacture high-quality surgical threads, making it sought after in many countries. Inside the fish is a special organ known locally as “fula,” scientifically referred to as “padna,” which is dried and sold at a high price abroad for use as raw material in pharmaceuticals.
Abdul Gani has a history of catching large and valuable poppah fish. On November 8, 2022, two poppah fish weighing 60 kilograms were caught in his nets and sold for Tk 800,000. Earlier, on November 14, 2018, he caught a 34-kilogram poppah fish that sold for Tk 1 million. In November 2020, several poppah fish caught in his nets fetched Tk 600,000.
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