KARACHI, Sept 28: Most Palla consumers do not know that they are having imported Palla in various restaurants and roadside stalls of Hyderabad, Thatta and Karachi. Only expert fishermen can distinguish between local and imported Palla.

Palla is Sindh’s traditionally most popular fish but for past many years it is facing danger of extinction because of drought in Sindh.

Rahu fish is also being imported by some parties at very cheap rates but being sold at comparatively high rates here.

However, there is confusion as to from where Palla is being imported. Fishermen think that it is being imported from Iran and Bangladesh while officials in the Marine Fisheries Department (MFD) believe that Palla is actually arriving from Iran.

But a market player, who claims to have introduced imported fish in the country, says that Palla is currently being imported from Burma as imports from Iran are not feasible because of high rates of transportation.

Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum President Mohammad Ali Shah appears highly concerned over the rising import of Palla and

Rahu. He fears worsening employment situation in case imports of these two items continue to rise in future.

Persistent drought-like situation in Sindh for the last few years can be blamed for low production of Palla fish. He said this specie of fish is currently available in River Sindh below Kotri due to heavy rains. Palla production depends on the availability of water in River Indus.

He said Palla consumers in Hyderabad and Thatta area were unaware that they were eating imported fish, which arrives in frozen form. He recalled that some 15 years back Palla production was estimated at 15,000-18,000 tons per annum as compared to below 100 tons currently.

Mr Shah said that Rahu was also being imported from Burma and it was not a good sign for the future survival of fishermen in case imports continued to flourish.

Meanwhile, an official in Marine Fisheries Department said that local Palla fish production ranged between 200-400 tons per annum and some 50 tons were being imported from Iran at Rs100-125 per kg.

He claimed that currently 60 per cent market was shared by locally produced Palla because of heavy rains in Sindh and the rest was imported.

Similarly, he said production of Rahu ranged between 30,000-35,000 tons per annum but some 300-500 tons were being imported from Burma for the last four years.

Managing Director S.H. Trading Rafiq Awan Manglori said that he had been importing Palla and Rahu since the year 2000 from Burma as Iranian fish cost higher.

Improved water level in River Indus after this year’s heavy rains, the share of locally produced Palla has increased to 20pc from almost nil, he said and added that 80pc Palla was still being imported.

The big Palla and small Palla was being imported at Rs400-450 and Rs150-200 per kg from Burma and was being sold here at Rs800-900 and Rs250-300 per kg respectively after paying all duties and taxes.

Mr Rafiq said that Palla imports had never been regular and importers usually had brought it with Rahu. He claimed that imported fish were not only low-priced but their taste and quality were equally up to the mark with locally produced fish.

Similarly, Rahu was being imported at Rs100-105 per kg. “We bring some 30-40 containers every year carrying 26 tons in each container from Burma,” he said.