Dry fish traders cry for storage facilities
Huge quantity of fish get damaged every year in Teknaf and Moheshkhali
Muazzem Hossain Shakil, Cox's Bazar
A huge quantity of dry fish get damaged here every year due to lack of storage facilities in Moheshkhali and Teknaf, the two main hubs of dry fish trading. As a result, dry fish traders are incurring a huge loss every year. Thousands of people in Najirartak, Sonadiya, Dhalgata, Matarbari and Khutobdiya villages earn a living by drying sea fish. 'We don't have a single cold storage at Moheshkhali and Teknaf. The government should come forward immediately to set up cold storage to help our dry fish trade', said Abul Hashem, a dry fish trader. 'We face a serious problem when we stock a large quantity of dry fish. When naturally preserved, insects attack dry fishes most often. So, we are badly in need of cold storage', he said. 'Dry fish sector is yet to get any help and support from the government though it is struggling to flourish against all odds,' Hashem said. 'If the government provide us proper support, it will be easy to export dry fish to more countries in large quantity fetching huge foreign currency', he said. At present dry fish is exported to some Middle East countries, including Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Qatar in small number, he said. Supply of dry fish from Cox's Bazar to the northern districts has decreased following last year's flood, he said adding it has caused a slump in dry fish business here. Hashem further said production of dry fish has also dropped in recent years following poor catch of sea fish. In reply to a question, he admitted that insecticides are used at field level to preserve dry fish. Dry fish has rich food value if prepared in a proper manner. But it becomes a health hazard if processed with insecticide or unsafe preservative. Dry fish is usually produced in a natural way under the open sky in the coastal areas of Cox's Bazar. Pintu Dutt, another dry fish trader said dry fish business has become dull in the recent years. 'Supply of dry fish has declined due to sea pollution caused by dumping of wastes from foreign vessels. This has resulted in poor catch in deep sea and in its stock, he said. Because of short supply, prices of dry fish also marked a sharp rise. 'Pomfret' which was available between Tk 300 and 400 a kilogram about a year ago is now being sold at Tk 700 per kg. 'Latia' is being sold at over Tk 120 per kg, traders said. Mobarak Hossain Babul, an exporter said, 'Dry fish has a good demand abroad, but it is not being exported in a large scale due to various problems in its shipment.'
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