Eleven hilsa mokams or large wholesale centres in Barisal region are buzzing with activities as trawlers and boats are unloading the popular fish almost round the clock during the last one week.

Crowding of buyers and sellers and noise of haggling mark the hilsa sales centres including the large ones at Barisal Port Road, Alipur, Mohipur, Patharghata, Monpura, Hizla, Ilisha, Gupter Bazar Golachipa, Mathbaria, Kalapara and Pirojpur Machhghat.

After a crisis period from the beginning of the hilsa season this year, this is the first time hilsa traders are making good amounts of profit while all the ice factories in the area are now busy producing ice to cope with the increased demand.

"Following crisis of hilsa fish during the last few years, a large number of hilsa traders of the region have wound up their business. The number of Barisal Zila Matsya Aratder Samity has come down to 68 from earlier 138," said Ajit Kumar Das, president of Barisal Zila Matsya Aratder Samity.

During a visit to Barisal

wholesale hilsa market, this correspondent found that price of the fish is still high.

Hilsa seller Uttam said medium sized hilsa is now selling for Tk 13,000 per maund. Big sized hilsa now sells forTk 17,000 per maund.

About 20,000 maunds of hilsa have been waiting disposed in different fish ghats for the last 45 hours, traders said, adding that there are good catches of medium sized hilsa but only a small portion of it are over one kg.

They said crisis of hilsa will return if the government fails to check catching of jatka (young hilsa).