By IANS
Agartala : Bangladesh has stopped exporting the 'Hilsa' fish to India, leading to a shortage of the much sought after variety here, an official said Saturday.
"We understand that Dhaka has decided to stop export of Hilsa for six months to make available adequate quantities of the fish in their domestic market at a reasonable price," said Khagendra Jamatia, Tripura's fisheries minister.
The Bangladeshi Hilsa from the river Padma is a highly priced commodity, much in demand in West Bengal and Tripura.
Bangladesh has been exporting Hilsa fish to about 12 countries, with India accounting for more than 60 percent of the exports.
A kilogram of Hilsa that earlier sold at Rs.200 is now being sold at Rs.400 per kg here. Small quantities of the fish are being smuggled to Indian markets.