Fishermen haul in 300 croakers worth millions of rupees

KARACHI:

Fishermen of the coastal village of Kharo Chan hauled in a treasure in their net worth millions of rupees bringing joy to the impoverished crew.

Hanif Katiyar and his crew had cast the net off their boat near Keti Bandar as usual, but they were overjoyed when they hauled in at least 300 croaker fish.

According to Kamal Shah, spokesman to Ibrahim Haydari Coastal Media Centre, fishermen caught more than 300 rare species of croaker fish from the open sea near Keti Bandar, a small port in the Thatta district. Being a valuable fish, fishermen keep their catch and sale a secret for fear of being robbed.

According to Kamal Shah, surgical thread is made from fat and air bladder in the belly of the croaker fish. Croaker fish meat is being sold for Rs1,000 per kg, but its fat and air bladder are in high demand. According to WWF Pakistan Technical Adviser Muhammad Moazzam Khan, croaker fish belongs to croaker species. It is called Suwa in Sindhi and Kar in Balochi. The reason for being expensive is the air bladder (pota) in it. Air bladder has great importance in China.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2024.