Bangladesh Crisis Hits Tables In Bengal, Northeast, As Hilsa Import Stops
NDTV
Hilsa is the national fish of Bangladesh. But it is also a hot favourite across the border -- in West Bengal and the north eastern parts of India
The popular fish markets of Kolkata are missing the best seller this monsoon, the Hilsa from the Padma river -- yet another fallout of the turmoil in Bangladesh. Hilsa is the national fish of Bangladesh. But it is also a hot favourite across the border -- in West Bengal and the north eastern parts of India. West Bengal consumes the lion's share of the imports, with the demand spiking further around Durga Puja.
Hilsa, an estuarine fish, goes upriver during their breeding season in the monsoon, that is when the catch becomes extensive. And although the fish is found in several southeast Asian countries, the taste of Bangladesh Hilsa is the one India swears by,
"There is an abrupt fall in Bangladeshi Hilsa supply, so prices will go up. We are already selling a kg of Hilsa at Rs 1,800, that is coming illegally," said Sankar Paul, a fishmonger in Kolkata.
