Palghar fisherman sells 157 Ghol fish for Rs1.33 crore

The fisherman sold the entire catch to a consortium of traders from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for a whopping ₹1.33 crore.

Chandrakant Tare, a fisherman from Murbhe in Palghar, did not know that the 157 Ghol fish caught by him near Wadhwan, about 25 nautical miles off Palghar coast, on the evening of August 28, would change his fortunes.

Palghar fisherman sells 157 Ghol fish for Rs1.33 crore

The fisherman sold the entire catch to a consortium of traders from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for a whopping ₹1.33 crore.

Tare had set sail on his Harbadevi trawler with 10 crew members onboard on August 15.

Word about the catch soon spread among trawlers on the Palghar coast and it was sold to the highest bidder.

Tare said that the sale has helped him resolve all his financial issues.

The Ghol fish (Protonibea diacanthus) is a type of blackspotted croaker fish and has a huge demand in Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. Known as ‘Sea Gold’, the fish has a huge market as its fins have medicinal value and are used by pharmaceutical companies to make dissolvable stitches.

“It is also used for wine purification in Singapore,” said Hitendra Naik, a resident of Satpati in Palghar.

Lately, there has been a drop in the fish’s population in the area owing to rampant pollution. As a result, the fisherfolk have to venture deep into the sea for fresh catch that leads to significant expenses in terms of dry rations diesel, drinking water and wage to labourers (khalasis) onboard.