Odisha fisherman catches exotic fish, sells it for Rs 1.56 lakh

BHADRAK: A fisherman of Kendrapara netted a double deal - a rare variety of marine fish which brought him a fortune of Rs 1.56 lakh in a Bhadrak market on Friday. Bhanu Mandal, a fisherman of Talchua village of Kendrapara’s Rajnagar block, had ventured into the deep sea in his trawler on the day and netted the fish weighing 19.5 kg. The fish, popular as Telia, is a rare variety of marine fish known for its medicinal values. When it was put to auction at Chandinipal in Chandbali block of Bhadrak, it fetched him a whopping Rs 1.56 lakh.

Telia is also known as Ghol fish and found in the deep sea. It goes by the biological name of Protonibea diacanthus. Also going by the name of black-spotted croaker, Telia is found in the Indo-Pacific region and has iron, iodine, magnesium, fluoride, selenium and taurine properties. The fish species is sought after for medicinal values by pharmaceutical companies which make use of its fin as well as skin. It is used for making various medicinal products and cosmetics too. 

When news of Mandal’s prized catch spread at Chandinipal, trawler owners and people gathered at the coast to get a glimpse of the fish and purchase it through an auction. The auction began at an initial minimum bid of Rs 6,000 per kg and within a few minutes reached the final call of Rs 8,000 a kg. A trader picked it up for a Mumbai-based pharmaceutical company for Rs 1.56 lakh.

President of Dhamra Fishermen’s Association Ashok Jana said, the one Bhanu netted was a male which sells for Rs 8,000 a kg. The female fish costs Rs  6,000 per kg whereas there is a third gender which sells at much higher price.Considered the most expensive marine fish, Telia or Ghol fish had fetched two fishermen of Maharashtra’s Palghar a whopping Rs 5.5. lakh in 2018. The catch had weighed 30 kg.