Massive Red Coral Catch Worth 31.2 Lakh in Teknaf

In Teknaf municipality, Cox’s Bazar, fishermen hauling in a trawler’s net caught an extraordinary 1,100 red coral fish, each weighing between four and six kilograms. The catch, sold late at night for BDT 31.2 lakh, brought great joy to both the trawler owner and the crew.

The trawler reached Kaikukkhali ghat in Teknaf at 11:30 pm on Tuesday, triggering a competitive buying frenzy among local fish traders eager to acquire the prized red coral. The catch was made earlier that afternoon in the Shilerkum area of the Bay of Bengal, southwest of Saint Martin’s Island, by a team of 15 fishermen.

Trawler Owner’s Statement
The trawler, owned by Mohammad Mizan of Choudhuripara, Teknaf, yielded a total weight of approximately 120 maunds (one maund ≈ 37.32 kg) of red coral. Initially, the asking price was BDT 45 lakh, but the final sale amounted to BDT 31.2 lakh. This translates to BDT 26,000 per maund and roughly BDT 650 per kilogram.

This is not the first notable catch this year. On 7 January, a trawler owned by Mohammad Zakaria of Shahporir Island in Teknaf caught 687 red coral fish, which sold for BDT 10 lakh.

Fishermen’s Experience
According to Rahmat Ullah, the trawler captain, the fishermen had struggled in recent days to catch anything off Teknaf’s coast. Fishing further south towards Saint Martin Island is risky, as Myanmar’s Arakan Army has reportedly fired on fishermen and sometimes seized trawlers. Despite the danger, the crew cast their nets in the Shilerkum area and discovered the abundant red coral after about an hour, immediately informing the trawler owner via phone.

Crew member Salim Ullah added that they set off for Teknaf at 8 pm and arrived at Kaikukkhali ghat by 11:30 pm, where local fish trader Rashid Ahmad purchased the entire catch. Ahmad noted that the red coral could easily sell for BDT 700 per kilogram in the market, though most would be transported by truck to Dhaka.

Local Fisheries Official
Teknaf Upazila Fisheries Officer Umul Fara Begum highlighted that red coral is a highly prized fish, once abundant in local markets but now declining. She added that individual red coral fish can grow up to nine kilograms.