At the onset of winter, famous produce of Bhakkar, fish from the River Indus, have flooded the market. Shops are full of fish, and people throng to the market to buy them. Fish not only fulfills the dietary needs of the people, but it is counted among the healthiest food for human beings.
A fish trader, Ibrahim Khan Gashkori Baloch, said that every year before the arrival of winter, the Punjab government invited tenders for fishing rights. Successful bidders were granted permission for fishing.
Bhakkar got thousands of kilogrammes of fish from the River Indus every day. A considerable amount of the species was also supplied to Sialkot, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and some other cities of the country, said the trader.
There were innumerous species of fish, but people had their favourites. During the winter and after rains, people throng the fish market, he said.
Fish varieties available in the Bhakkar area of the River Indus were more sought after than those available in some other regions, said Gashkori Baloch.
This was due to the quality of the fish available in Bhakkar. There was no comparison of farm fish with the ones caught from the river.
Due to this factor, people preferred the river fish over farm fish, said the trader.
Fishermen worked round the clock to stock the markets with ample quantity of the produce. River fish was available in the markets from seven o’ clock in the morning until 12 noon, he said.
Even children enjoyed fish as much as the adults did. There was a variety of recipes people used while cooking fish. Most of the people liked eating fried wish while others cooked it in gravy, said Gashkori Baloch.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24th, 2023.
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