Dried fish processing begins with great gusto

A festive-like environment is prevailing almost everywhere as the traditional dried fish processing season has begun along the Cox's Bazar coastline marking enthusiasm and busyness of the workers involved in the burgeoning industry.

Industry insiders said local processors produce dried fish worth about Tk 40 billion (Tk 4,000 crore) in the coastal district every year.

As it is very tasty and nutritious, the dried fish produced here is in high demand among tourists and local people.

In addition to meeting the domestic demand, Cox's Bazar's dried fish is also exported to Hong Kong, Singapore, India, South Korea, the United States and Thailand.

People involved in the industry said there is a possibility of exporting dried fish worth about Tk8.0 billion from Cox's Bazar this season.

Upon visiting Nazirartek Sutki Palli, a prominent dried fish processing unit, it was seen that numerous workers were busy doing the fish drying job.

The smell of raw and dried fish wafted in the air across the unit where the majority of workers were women and children.

Many were spreading raw fish on the hot sand for drying, some were packing them

in bags, and some were shaking the fish kept on the platform to dry.

Most of the units have a wide range of collection of various species of sea fish in their stock.

Notable among them are - Churi, Laitya, Faisya, Surma, Chapila, shrimp, Bata, Layokka, Maitya, rupchanda, coral, Guijya, Chapa, Lal Icha, Mailya, Popa, Mishali, Kechki, Luan Hilsa, Dhaincha, Kalochanda and several other species.

These fish species are dried in intense heat of the sun and processed into dried fish.

There are about 100 dried fish markets in Cox's Bazar where continues round-the-clock busyness.

The process of converting raw fish into dried fish involves the hard work of several thousand workers. The season of dried fish production will continue until May.

Each trader has an investment of Tk50,000 to Tk5.0 million in each market.

A dried fish processor said, "Currently, prices of all types of fish are a little high. We have to buy raw fish at a high price, so we have to sell it with some profit."

"Especially from November to March, there is a lot of tourist traffic in Cox's Bazar, during which our dried fish sells well," he added.

Tourists lament that prices of dried fish in Cox's Bazar have increased by Tk400-Tk500 per kg in the last few years.

They believe that unscrupulous traders through syndicates have increased the prices of dried fish.

Trader Kamrul Hasan said, "If we buy raw fish and dry it ourselves, we can keep the low price. Because doing this reduces our costs and we can sell it at a lower price."

Tourist Faisal Arefin said the original dried fish of Cox's Bazar is very tasty. No tourist comes home without buying dried fish here.

"Therefore, we will demand that this dried fish, which is very popular and in high demand, be made salt-free and poison-free," he added.

Tourists think that the manufacturing companies and the administration should increase special monitoring to control the quality of dried fish.

Selina and Minu, workers at a dried fish shop, said it is very difficult to process dried fish in the hot sun.

Nazirartek Multipurpose Cooperative Society president Md Atiq Chowdhury said the country's largest dried fish village has been developed here on about 100 acres of land. About 20,000 workers and businessmen are involved here. There are more than 50 small and large warehouses in the dried fish village which produces about 300 tonnes of different varieties of dried fish every day. Dried fish is produced and marketed in this district for up to nine months every year.

There is a possibility of exporting dried fish worth Tk 8.0 billion in the current season, after meeting the local demand.

He also believes if government patronisation is found for dried fish processing and its export, foreign exchange earning in this sector will significantly increase.

Exporters said there are more than 20 export-oriented dried fish factories in the district, from where a large chunk of dried fish goes to Hong Kong, Singapore, India, South Korea, the United States and Thailand.

The District Fisheries Department office sources said 700 traders produce about 40,000 tonnes of dried fish in the district annually.

These dried fish meet local demand and are exported to different countries of the world. Therefore, various steps are being taken to control the quality of the dried fish.

Cox's Bazar District Fisheries Officer Md Badruzzaman said, "On the one hand, we will also enforce the law and if we can provide them with alternative technology support, we will be able to produce 10 per cent poison-free dried fish in the very near future."

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