Early hilsa haul excites Bengal fish lovers

In good news for the fish-loving people of Bengal at the onset of monsoon, trawlers have returned to the Kakdwip harbour with over 50 ton of hilsa, which is around 40 per cent of last year's catch.

It is the highest catch at the beginning of the season in recent years, Kakdwip Fishermen's Association Secretary Bijan Maity told PTI on Tuesday.

Around 25-30 trawlers left the harbour, located in South 24 Parganas district, on June 14 midnight -- the first fleet of the season for 'Mission Hilsa', and started returning with the catch on June 16, he said.

"From tomorrow, the fish will reach the markets of Kolkata, Howrah and their outskirts. Each fish weighs between 500 and 900 gram," he said.

"More or less every trawler had the catch. This is due to the favourable weather -- drizzles, overcast skies and easterly winds, ideal in every sense," he added.

Maity said June to September is the season for netting Hilsas, and if the trend continues, this year's catch may break all records.

"There are around 3,000 trawlers in Kakdwip, which regularly go for deep-sea fishing. While many are yet to return, others will set sail in the coming days," he said.

The trawlers that have returned also netted pomfret and kingfish, but hilsa has a special place in Bengali households, he said.

"We are hopeful that larger hilsas will be caught as the monsoon progresses," he said.