Chalan Beel’s dried fish producers worried over supply crunch

Dried fish producers of Chalan Beel which spreads across Pabna, Sirajganj and Natore districts have been left frustrated this year as their production levels have been halved by high input costs amid a scanty supply of local fish varieties.

Around 47 rivers and other water bodies flow into Chalan Beel, the biggest static waterbody in Bangladesh's northern region, making it a favourable location for fish processes and exporters.

"I used to dry about 1.5 tonnnes to 2 tonnes of fish every day but now I am not getting more than 1 tonne daily," said Md Shukur Ali, a wholesale trader based in Mohishluti market of Sirajganj's Tarash upazila.

Around 200 maunds to 250 maunds (one maund equals around 37 kilogrammes) of fish are processed each year for both the domestic and international markets at Mohishluti, one of the country's biggest sources of
dried fish.

"Last year, I produced 10 tonnes of dried fish which were sold in Indian markets but this year, I have no scope to produce even four tonnes or five tonnes of dried fish," Ali told The Daily Star.

Due to the lack of supply from Chalan Beel, dried fish producers are being forced to buy fish at high costs from other regions.

"And as a result of the soaring production cost, we are failing to catch the international market," Ali added.

Dried fish producers mainly process local varieties of fish, with the smaller ones of the barb species of the family Cyprinidae, in Bangla called "puti maach", having high demand in Indian markets.

"So, we mainly produced dried puti for supplying to Indian markets in the last few years but due to scanty supply from Chalan Beel, the buyers from Sayedpur are reluctant to purchase them at higher prices," said Md Alom Ali Mollah, another dried fish wholesaler.

Dried fish traders of Chalan Beel supply their products to the wholesale market in Sayedpur upazila as there are many major merchants in the region who export it to India.

But due to a scantly supply of the main raw material, most processers have cut their production.

"After experiencing continuous loss, I am not producing dried fish anymore this year," said Md Nasir Uddin, a dried fish trader.

Uddin went on to say that dried fish producers mostly conduct their business from October to December but the lack of rain in the monsoon season this year has led to poor fish farming.

However, Md Abul Kalam Azad, the district fishery officer, told The Daily Star that it was not a lack of production, but rather extensive marketing that caused a shortage of fish.

"Fish production in Chalan Beel has not faced any detrimental effect, rather fish farmers sell their produce in different markets across the country due to huge demand," he said.

"Besides there are many sheds established in different areas for making dried fish due to the international demand, so the fish market has grown," Azad added.

Not only at the commercial level, several thousand smaller fishermen in Chalan Beel and its adjoining areas produce dried fish in their households to sell the product in different districts during winter, said various sources.