According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh earned about USD 2.55 million by exporting dried fish (shutki) in the first six months (July-December) of the 2023-24 fiscal year (FY24), with December alone witnessing exports of dried fish worth USD 1.43 million.
Bangladesh exports dried fish mainly to Hong Kong, Singapore, India, South Korea, USA and Thailand. Demand for dried fish from Bangladesh is rising in various countries due to its quality, the fishermen think.
Mid-February to mid-October is the peak fish drying season when open-air drying using sun and wind has been done since ancient times. If the weather remains favourable, the process continues until February and March next year.
Nazirar Tek village under Cox’s Bazar district is the largest dried fish-producing village in the country; thousands have made temporary settlements for fish drying under the sun. The village has been built on about 200 acres of land. Around 2,000 traders have invested here and several hundred have set up more than 50 wholesale shops.
According to dried fish wholesalers and traders in Asadganj, 70-80 percent of the country’s total export of dried fish is supplied from this area. In addition to whole dried fish, fish flakes, including tails and fins, are also processed for export. This dried fish is shipped to various countries across America, the Middle East, East Asia, and Southeast Asia.
The Department of Fisheries reports that 15 percent of the total fish production is processed into dried fish. In the 2021-22 fiscal year, about 4.76 million tonnes of fish were caught from sea and domestic sources, with over 700,000 tonnes used for dried fish production.
Dried fish in the country is made from various types of sea fish, including rupchanda (pomfret), fayssha (scaly hairfin anchovy), lottya (Bombay duck), shrimp, and chapila (clupeidae). Depending on the species, it takes between two and a half to four kilograms of fresh fish to produce one kilogram of dried fish.
In recent years, the price of raw fish has been steadily increasing, leading to higher prices for dried fish as well. Traders and exporters have noted that this price rise is also impacting the export market for dried fish.
A number of traders urged the government to arrange soft loans for the dry fish traders at the start of the season.
