Khulna: Rain and fog in the last couple days have taken a serious toll on the fish-drying process in different fishing colonies across the coastal area adjacent to the Sundarbans resulting in fish worth over Taka 1 crore going bad.

Torrential rain and ghastly winds have disrupted the loading-unloading of several national and international commercial ships alongside their transportation as a depression looms over the Northwest Bay leading the Met Office to issue a directive to hoist signal number three, reports the UNB.

Dubla Fishermen Group General Secretary Md Kamal Uddin Ahmed said already money lenders of Dubla fishing colonies have suffered losses of a huge sum as the fishes could not be dried up.

He further said, ‘As there has been no sunshine lately, fishermen are failing to dry up fishes resulting tainting and loss of money. Moreover, disastrous weather is hampering fishing process in deep sea since the high waves and incessant rain is forcing fishing trawlers and ships to drift away.’

Generally every year thousands of fishermen catch fish from October-November to February-March in coastal areas bordering to the Sundarbans. Later, these fishes are dried up under the sun in different chars of the area and also been prepared for export.

Al Amin, a fisherman from Meher Ali Char, told this correspondent that they (fishermen) have invested over millions but still unable to dry up fishes for the foul the weather for last couple of days.

This year some 10-15 thousands fishermen have flocked to Dublar Char, Meher Ali Char, Alorkol, Ofiskilla, Majherkilla, Shelar Char and Narkelbaria Char to run their drying up process.

Mahmudul Hasan, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of East Sundarban Division, said, ‘If this situation continues to exist for more days, the target revenue from this sector might decrease this year.’

Light drizzles have been frequent for the past few days in the area as ‘Cyclone Fethai’ in the Bay of Bengal grows weaker. Met Office said the cyclone has turned into a depression upon weakening.