Hilsa prices worry importers

KOLKATA: There is bad news in store for the ilish-lovers of Bengal. Fish importers have threatened to stop accepting consignments from Bangladesh till rates are slashed.
The importers claim that it's becoming more and more difficult to find buyers who would readily pay Rs 450-500 for a hilsa that weighs around 1.5 kg. Should importers put their feet down now, the worst sufferers would
be the common man, for whom it will be difficult to buy the fish at all.
Importers claimed that it has been since 2007 that Bangladesh has hiked the prices of hilsa to an exorbitant level. However, the situation has never been so bad. "We have not been able to make much profit for the past two years. This year, we will have to set the price of a 1-kg hilsa at Rs 300-320. There will be few people interested in buying the fish. The rates go up as the size of the fish increases. There is no other option but to stop importing ilish," said Atul Chandra Das, president, Fish Importers Association (FIA).
The Bangladeshi government has maintained that due to a fall in catch, prices have gone up, even in that country. There is no possibility of subsiding exports.
The whole episode has, understandably, made the diehard ilish fans upset. "Hilsa from Bangladesh has a unique taste. It will be unfortunate if we do not get the fish in the market any longer," said Brajagopal Saha, a resident of Lake Town.
Kaushik Paul, a software engineer from Southern Avenue, sounded equally upset. "For the last couple of years, hilsa prices have been burning a hole in our pockets. The fish is not only delicious, there is an emotional attachment as well. We would request the new government at the Centre to look into the matter," he said.
Ilish from Bangladesh generally comes in three sizes and rates. Fishes weighing between 500 grams and 1 kg are priced at Rs 288 per piece. The price shoots up to Rs 384 for fish between 1 and 1.5 kg. For larger fish, the rate is Rs 576 a piece. Add to this the cost of preserving the fish and there is no way that importers can make much profit.
In July 2007, Bangladesh stopped export of hilsa. It was through Pranab Mukherjee's intervention that export resumed in December that year. The rates have been bothering the importers ever since but there is no solution in sight.