1,100 Red Coral Caught, Worth 3.1 Million

In a remarkable catch off the coast of Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, a single fishing net hauled in 1,100 red coral fish, creating a stir among local fishermen and traders. The total estimated weight of the catch is around 120 maunds, and with a market rate of 26,000 taka per maund, the haul is expected to fetch approximately 3.1 million taka.

The catch occurred on Tuesday afternoon, 24 February, when the fishing trawler, owned by Mohammad Mizan and Harun from Keruntoli in Teknaf Municipality, returned to the quay at Kaiyukhali around 10:30 pm. Upon arrival, a competitive buying frenzy began among fish traders eager to secure the rare catch.

Speaking about the haul, the trawler’s skipper, Rahmat Ullah, explained that the crew had not ventured into deep-sea fishing for about a week. “We set out to the deep sea on Saturday. When we pulled in the nets on Tuesday afternoon, we were astonished to find such an extraordinary quantity of red coral fish,” he said.

Mohammad Mizan, the trawler owner, described the expedition in detail. “With a team of 17 crew members, we sailed to the southwestern waters of Saint Martin’s Island in the Bay of Bengal. When we cast the net, an unprecedented number of fish were caught in a single haul. Each fish weighs between five and six kilograms, and after counting, we confirmed there were 1,100 in total.”

The trading at Kaiyukhali quay was intense. Initially, the fishermen demanded 4.5 million taka for the entire catch. However, businessman Rashid Ahmed ultimately purchased the fish at a rate of 26,000 taka per maund, although the total weight had not yet been fully confirmed.

Local fishermen explained that red coral fish are typically found in deep-sea areas. During winter, they gather in schools around the coral-rich waters near Saint Martin’s Island. Because of the rocky seabed and coral reefs, netting in this area is risky, so fishermen generally use large-scale nets for bigger catches. The fact that such a large haul was caught in a single net has caused considerable excitement along the coast.

The following table summarises the details of this exceptional catch:

This extraordinary haul is expected to have a positive impact on the local fishing economy and underscores the abundance of red coral fish in the region’s deep-sea waters.