Around 700 red coral fish were caught at once in a fishing trawler’s net in the Bay of Bengal off Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar, with 677 of them sold for Tk 10 Lakh.
The fish were caught on Wednesday morning in the Maulvir Shil area of the Saint Martin’s Channel. In the afternoon, fishermen brought the haul to the Shah Porir Dwip Mistripara Fisheries Ghat aboard a trawler owned by Mohammad Zakaria.
Zakaria said the trawler left the Mistripara Fisheries Ghat on Tuesday for the Bay of Bengal with nine fishermen under skipper Abul Kalam. In the evening, they anchored on the northern side of Saint Martin’s Island in the Saint Martin’s Channel and cast their nets. By morning, the red coral fish were caught.
“Out of nearly 700 fish, 677 were sold for Tk 1 million. Initially, the price was set at Tk 24,000 per maund, valuing the catch at Tk 1.2 million. After negotiations, it was sold at Tk 23,000 per maund,” he said.
Local fish trader Rahim Ullah said the fish have been stored on ice at the Mistripara Fisheries Ghat and will be transported to Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram for sale. “Coral fish, also known locally alongside vetki, are highly prized for their taste across the country,” he added.
“Coral fish from the deep sea are not always available in local markets, which is why their price is relatively high.”
Mohammad Hasan, president of the Shah Porir Dwip Mistripara Fishing Trawler Owners’ Association, said a total of 687 red coral fish were caught in a single net in the Saint Martin’s Channel.
“Red coral is a deep-sea fish, and the Saint Martin’s Channel is one of the areas where it is commonly found. For quite some time, fishermen were not getting enough catch from the sea. From Wednesday, however, fish availability has improved, and other fishermen are also preparing to cast their nets in the channel,” he said.
Teknaf Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Umul Fara Begum Tajkira said red coral fish are in high demand nationwide. “This is a deep-sea species from the Bay of Bengal and usually weighs between one and nine kilograms,” she said.
“The fish is found mainly in tropical regions, particularly in the western Pacific and Indian Ocean areas. It is also seen in parts of northern Asia, southern Queensland, and western East Africa.”
She added that adherence to government restrictions, including those during breeding seasons, has contributed to the recent availability of larger coral fish in the sea.
Cox’s Bazar Life Report
Photo: Collected
