A fisherman caught 11 red corals in one hour on Wednesday off Cheradia, an isolated island south of St. Martin. They were detained in the bag of Amir Hussain (45) in the jail of Galachipa area of St. Martin. He threw a fishing rod at Pathar Khand of Cheradia around 6 am and caught 11 red corals weighing between three to five kilograms. The price of red coral is 700 rupees per kg.
Piles of stones are scattered around Cheradia. Rock piles sink at high tide, floating at low tide. Various marine fish including red corals are caught by casting barashi on rocks during high tide. But not always caught.
The weight of 11 red corals will be more than 45 kg and Amin Hossain expects to make more than 30,000 taka by selling these fish. He said, after seven in the morning, tourists travel to Cheradia, and it is crowded till the evening. If there is noise, not much fish is caught in Barashi. Red corals roam the rocky waters in a dark and secluded environment. But throwing barashi on rocks is a difficult task and no one wants to take the risk for fear of cutting hands and feet. Apart from this, the blade is also torn if it gets stuck in the stone block.
Amin Hossain is a fisherman by profession. Fishing trawlers have not landed in the sea for a month, hundreds of fishermen are unemployed. His family consists of mother, father, wife and three sons and daughters. There is not much work to earn income on the island. So, if you need money, sometimes go to the sea with a big bag. Most of the time there are no fish caught in Barashi. He himself was surprised to catch 11 big red corals today. He was taking the fish to St. Martin market for sale.
Zamir Ahmed, a fish trader on the island, told that more than 4,000 tourists are coming to Saint Martin every day on 10 ships. Another 150 to 2000 came on Thursday and Friday. Tourists love to eat sea fish. However, Hilsa, Rupchanda, Coral, Maitya, Popa, Guijya are not caught in the sea for a month. Fish has to be bought from Teknaf. Fishermen sometimes earn some money by selling large corals and bowl fish in fishing nets, tourists can also eat fresh fish.
Chairman of Saint Martin Union Parishad (UP) Mujibur Rahman told , due to lack of fishing in the sea, more than three hundred boats of the union are anchored at the wharf. Hundreds of fishermen are unemployed. Because of the rocks around the island, fishing cannot be done by casting nets. Some fishermen try to catch fish by throwing fishing rods inside the rocks. Some earn some income by fishing in Barashi.