Atrai Fish Market: an overview

Bangladesh is a riverine country. About 230 rivers spread through like nets over Bangladesh. The river Atrai is a one of the most famous river of Bangladesh. The upozila Atrai is named by the name of the river Atrai which is situated at the east side of Naogaon at a distance of 30 km.

A village namely Tetulia is situated at the north-east side of the Ahasangang railway station under Atrai upazila. About 2000 people’s lives in this village. About 95% peoples of this village are involved in fish business.

About 55% peoples are directly involved in fish business and 40% peoples are involved in the business of dry fishes. At least there are 25-30 families whose are non-muslims and they are fisherman in occupation.

The main source of their income is fishing. They also said the abundance of fishes in river Atrai decreasing day by day and for this there income is decreased. They said that all the development of the village Tetulia is completely depended on River Atrai and Atrai fish market. Mainly the peoples of this village drive their poverty by involving themselves in fish market and fish business.

Atrai fish market is situated on the bank of the river Atrai and covered an area of 1.5 acres of the village Tetulia. In past, the market was known as Atrai Ghat. Different types of fishes are come regularly in this fish market and the abundance of fishes in this market is high. Different types of fisheries water-bodies like river, beels, floodplains, canals etc. are situated in this upazila and adjacent areas. River Atrai and Chetra beel is most of them.

The price of fishes is comparatively lower than others adjacent fish markets due to availability of fishes of culture and capture sources specially in rainy season.

Different types of native and exotic fishes are recorded in Atrai fish market. Native fishes are Hilsha (Tenualosa ilisha), Sing (Heteropneustes fossilis), Boal (Wallago attu), Magur (Calarias batrachus), Koi (Anabus testudineus), Puti (Puntius sp.), Kholisa (Colisa sp.), Chanda (Chanda sp.), Kalibaus (Labeo calbasu), Nandina (Labeo nandina), Folui (Notopterus notopterus), Chital (Notopterus chitala), Taki (Channa punctatus), Sol (Channa striatus), Patasi (Pseudotropius atherinoides), Pabda (Ompok sp.), Veda (Nandus nandus), Guchi (Mastacembalus sp.), different carp fishes etc.

Some exotic fish like Tilapia, Silvers carp, Common carp, Big head carp, Grass carp and Mirror carp are also available here.

It is believe it or not, harmful exotic fish like Red Piranha (Pygocentrus natteri) and African magur (Clarias garipinus) and aquarium as well as ornamental fish like Sucker mouth cat fish (Hypostomus plecostomus) are also available in this fish market.

In previous, businessmen carry fish to Darziling in India from here. But now a day, there are 27 Fish Arat (wholesaler) in this market and businessman carry fish to Natore, Rajshahi, Bogra, Rangpur, Irsordi, Jaypurhat, Caoran bazar of Dhaka city and the major parts of Bangladesh from Atrai fish market.

Fish carry from here by truck and train. Businessman used D-gluconate (only for veterinary uses) to keep fish fresh for carry fish in long distance. They mainly used it for live fishes (air breathing fish) beside this ice are used to keep fish as fresh as possible.