Traders create artificial crisis by storing hilsa to raise prices later

It was my friend’s birthday, and I forgot to wish him. As penance, I treated him to a hilsa dinner.

Many people are yet to taste hilsa this season because of exorbitant prices, while the peak period for catching the national fish draws to a close. Fishermen in the Bay of Bengal say this year’s hauls are far smaller than last year’s.

Large-sized hilsa have almost disappeared from markets across the southern region, with traders reporting that most of the catch now weighs between 200 and 400 grammes.