Sea of gold! Maharashtra fisherman sells 157 Ghol fish for Rs 1.33 crore

Maharashtra's Palghar fisherman Chandrakant Tare could not have imagined that he would be earning Rs 1.33 crore by selling fish. On Wednesday, reports stated that Tare pulled in a net-full of 157 'Ghol' (Croaker) fish, worth a whopping Rs 1.33 crore!

The good fortune was on Tare's side as he resumed his fishing activity on his trawler 'Harbadevi' with 10 others after the two-month-long monsoon ban ended on August 15.

Tare, a resident of Murbhe coastal village, and his team set sail to Wadhwan, around 45 km off Palghar shores. That is when they struck gold as a few days later when they pulled in the nets - they found the 157 'Ghols' (Protonibe Diacanthus) struggling to break free from the tough nylon strings.

Tare and his crew celebrated their catch as 'Ghols' - also known as the "sea gold" - is in huge demand as a culinary delicacy and for its internal organs in the south and south-east Asia. Tare sold his catch to a consortium of the highest bidders from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh - at Rs 1.33 crore - considered the highest-ever price for 'Ghol' in the entire Konkan region.

Coveted in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and other countries, the 'Ghol' fish fins are said to have huge medicinal value and are used by pharma companies to make soluble stitches, and for wine purification, while its bladder cures kidney stones, and its heart boosts sex power and immunity, say, locals.

According to fisherman Jitendra Patil, in recent years, there has been a big drop in the fish population around the coastal areas owing to rampant marine pollution.

"We are forced to venture far into the Arabian Sea for a decent catch adding to the costs and time... We rarely net one or two 'Ghols', and once a fisherman had caught around a dozen in his nets. But, such a huge quantity (157) in a single catch is like God's blessing," said Patil.