Hilsa is coming to the local markets following a 22-day moratorium from 9 October till 30 October. But buyers claim that the fish available in the market is not fresh and were caught earlier.

It’s known that a large portion of the Hilsa, caught prior to 9 October, remained unsold; they were kept frozen and were released to the market once the ban was lifted. Many buyers are being duped into purchasing Hilsa caught about a month back.

Hilsa traders say that before buying fish, the gills need to be checked along with the overall colour of the fish. The fresh hilsa will be shiny silver and the gill, red. The fresh ones will also be hard.

A fisherman adds: “fish caught long ago will be soft.”

Currently, a 1 kg hilsa is selling for a little above Tk. 1000. Fish under 1 kg is being sold for Tk. 500 to Tk. 800.

Traders have said that with the lifting of the restriction on hilsa fishing, a large quantity of fish is being caught.