6,000 kg of Red Coral Caught St. Martin’s Island

Fishermen in the Bay of Bengal St. Martin’s Island have netted a massive haul of approximately 6,000 kg of red coral fish. The rare catch, weighing in at roughly 150 maunds, was sold to a local trader for Tk 3.5 million, sparking significant excitement at the Teknaf fishery ghat.

The fishing trawler, owned by Mizan from the Kerantoli area and manned by 21 fishermen, set sail on Monday morning. By Tuesday afternoon, the crew spotted a large school of fish southeast of St. Martin’s Island. Within hours of casting their nets, they hauled in over a thousand red coral fish, each weighing between 5 kg and 7 kg.

The vessel arrived at the Kayukkhali Fishery Ghat in Teknaf Municipality around midnight on Tuesday. Local fish trader Md. Rashid purchased the entire lot at Tk 26,000 per maund.

"I have been in this business for a long time, but catching this many red coral fish in a single net is rare," Rashid said. The fish are currently being iced and transported to major wholesale markets in Dhaka, including Jatrabari, Karwan Bazar, and Abdullahpur.

While the fishing season is nearing its end, local fishers noted that such a catch represents a major economic windfall for the community.