Bhograi: A large and rare fish weighing around 900 kg was caught by fishermen off Digha coast in neighbouring West Bengal Monday.
The stingray, locally known as ‘Hatikania’ as it appears like an elephant ear, was caught by fishermen in three trawlers while fishing in deep sea.
The fish was brought to Digha shore and later a fish trader Rabindra Samal bought it at a price of Rs 20,000 at the local fish market.
The news spread like wildfire and soon there was a huge crowd to catch a glimpse of the fish. Later, the fish was taken in a vehicle to Kolkata where Samal plans to sell it at a price four times more than the actual price. It is claimed the fish might be sold either for consumption or for medicinal use. However, the local administration was found ignorant about the development.
It is claimed that the stingray might have deviated from its original route, getting caught in strong waves and trapped in the shallow waters.
A whale type fish was washed ashore after hitting a fan of a ship in deep sea at Digha, December 12, 2012. The whale sustained critical injuries in the process and was washed ashore dead. The whale carcass lay there for over a month which raised a stink in the area.
Shyama Prasad Das, secretary of fishermen’s association in Digha, said five to eight rare fish get caught by fishermen every year which are later sold in Kolkata.
PNN