Barguna, Oct 31 (V7N) – A fishing trawler has brought in an extraordinary six-ton haul of hilsa from the Bay of Bengal to the Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) fish landing center in Patharghata, Barguna. The prized catch was auctioned for Tk 40.5 lakh at a rate of Tk 27,000 per maund on Friday morning.

The trawler, named FB Safwan-3, unloaded the fish at the “Saif Fish” wholesale depot of the BFDC center. According to the fishermen, the hilsa were caught on October 29, about 60 kilometers off the Kuakata coast in deep sea waters.

The trawler, operated by Rubel and owned by Manik Mia, left Patharghata on October 29 with 19 fishermen aboard. “When we cast the nets in the afternoon, we were amazed — the nets filled entirely with hilsa,” said Rubel, the trawler’s skipper. “All three storage holds of our trawler were full, and we even had to cut away part of the net because it was too heavy to haul in.”

Owner Manik Mia expressed relief after the record haul, saying, “For a long time, our catches were so low that we were running at a loss. This sale will help us recover some of those losses.”

Auctioneer and fish trader Mostafa Alam noted, “Fishing has been closed for the past 22 days, and that’s why fishermen are now getting such a good catch. The sea needed that rest.”

Barguna District Trawler Owners Association President Golam Mostafa Chowdhury confirmed the good news, saying, “After the 22-day fishing ban, fishermen are finally seeing success. For months, we didn’t have much hilsa coming into the BFDC center. Now, a single trawler bringing in 150 maunds of hilsa is cause for celebration.”

Patharghata Upazila Fisheries Officer Hasibul Haque said, “Because fishermen strictly followed the 22-day fishing ban, the hilsa population in the sea has increased significantly. We are hopeful that catches will continue to improve in the coming days.”

The massive hilsa catch has brought renewed optimism among the local fishing community, signaling a possible rebound for the coastal fisheries sector after months of uncertainty.

END/MRR/SMA/