Sea fishers recently urged the government to ensure that imported fish undergo certain tests apart from those related to checking for the presence of health-hazardous chemicals, namely formalin.

Marine fish that are currently imported from Middle Eastern countries at a relatively low cost should be tested for arsenic, mercury, and other heavy-metal contaminations to protect consumers, they said.

"Besides, the fish imported from that region are sold at throwaway prices, which affects us too," said Nurul Qayyum Khan, president of the Bangladesh Marine Fisheries Association (BMFA).

Khan said a portion of fish is imported for poultry feed and in such cases, they should be imported as granules.

In a letter to the fisheries and livestock minister last week, the association appealed for ensuring that imported fish are searched for arsenic, mercury, lead, and cadmium contaminations apart from facing microbiological tests.

The BMFA, which represents 200 industrial fishing trawlers in the Bay of Bengal, also urged the government for allowing them to buy diesel, the key raw material for trawlers, at reduced prices as it has become difficult for them to bear the increased fuel cost.

Imported fish should be tested for arsenic, mercury, lead, and cadmium contaminations apart from facing microbiological tests, sea fishers say

Imported fish should be tested for arsenic, mercury, lead, and cadmium contaminations apart from facing microbiological tests, sea fishers say

"We are on the verge of sinking," he said.

The BMFA said an industrial trawler would require Tk 65 lakh for a voyage lasting 22 days when the price of diesel was Tk 65 per litre before the hike in November 2021. The cost went up 11 per cent to Tk 72 lakh after the government increased prices of the fuel to Tk 80 per litre.

The fuel cost for a steel-body mechanised trawler that goes for fishing in the sea shot up 46 per cent to Tk 1.05 crore after the energy ministry hiked prices again in August this year.

Khan said they cannot increase the prices of fish even though their costs have soared as it depends on the supply coming from other sources too.

The BMFA president then said industrial trawlers can trawl for up to six months each year because of the government's restrictions on catching fish for a certain period.

Khan said entrepreneurs invest Tk 30-35 crore for an industrial trawler by borrowing from banks.

So, the increased cost of operation has affected their capacity to service loans, he said while demanding diesel for trawlers at Tk 80 per litre.

Asked about the risk of leakage or sales to the market, he said the government will monitor to prevent that by devising modalities.

Of those, fishermen and industrial trawlers can catch up to 30 types of fish with a majority comprising hilsha.

The Bay of Bengal provides 15 per cent of the total annual production of fish estimated at 46.2 lakh tonnes in fiscal 2020-21, according to the Department of Fisheries (DoF).

Marine fishing is the main source of income for nearly 500,000 fishermen living near the coast, as per a policy on marine fishing issued by the DoF.

Some 200 industrial trawlers, around 350 wooden trawlers and 65,000 country boats are engaged in fishing the Bay of Bengal.