Narinjara News


Jelly Fish Season Makes a Promising Start on the Arakan Coast

Akyab, April 27: The Jelly Fish has just started in the Arakan state, and business has kick started with great momentum.  The industry is expecting to reverse the effects of last year’s poor yield.

To compensate for last year’s losses, the Jellyfish fishermen are trying to catch as much jellyfish as possible, by even going on the high seas.  Last year, a ton of jellyfish priced at 1,900 to 4,000 thousand kyats, but this year the price is 1,800 thousand kyats.

In 2003, the military Junta SPDC collected 5,800 thousand kyats for a jellyfish buying depot, and sold all the river, creeks and sea off to high profile businessmen as plots for jellyfish fisheries.  The Kaladan River, the main river in northern Arakan was divided into three jellyfish plots, and the lower end of the river was sold for 70 million kyats to “High Garee” Kyaw Won from Akyab.

However, due to the change in the water streams, no jellyfish were yielded last year and those business people had to face the music.  Despite 2002 being a good year, 2003 was a terrible year for the jellyfish industry.

According to a person from the industry, jellyfish gives quick cash recovery, but involved a lot of work.  The fishermen use 60 feet long; 30 feet wide Thailand-made nets to fish the jellyfish and then salt the jellyfish for exportation to China.

A large jellyfish is 150 kyats and smaller one is 100 kyats in Arakan.  Jellyfish is a popular business in Arakan at the moment.  In Akyab, Jellyfish buying depots are in Padalate, Kyiee Dae, Panlunn Bryne, Thaee Khaung, Ree Chan Bryne and some Arakanese businesses are thinking of opening up buying depots in neighbouring Bangladesh too. #