Ninety percent of the country's snake –fish (Kuchiya) and crab are exported to China.
And most of these exportable kuchiya and crab are produced in Satkhira. Thousands of people have been involved in this business are in trouble because of export suspension Bangladeshi goods to China due to coronavirus infection. The country is being economically affected. Local small businessmen and wholesalers have also been in trouble.
Satkhira, known as the saline area of Southern Bangladesh. The main source of livelihood for most people in this area is fishery enclosures. There is a huge potential for cultivating crabs along with saline kuchiya in the center of this fish cultivation. The country has developed a large kuchi and crab market.
From here five to seven tons of these crabs and kuchiya were shipped to Dhaka in a week for exporting to China. But due to the coronavirus infection kuchiya and crab all kinds of export are stopped from last January 25 putting the people involved with trade in financial crisis. Simultaneously the country is losing revenue. On the one hand, the businessmen have been in trouble for failing to pay the loan.
One Haroon involved in this business, said that the family of day laborers involved in this trade of collecting the crabs and kuchiya are almost starving. The wholesalers who are purchasing the kuchiya from the market cannot keep them alive incurring financial loss.
As the kuchiya and crab exports to China from Satkhira have been shut down since January 25 due to the Corona virus, there is an attempt to find out new markets abroad. The district fisheries officer said they are trying to export to other countries except China.
If the crab and kuchiya are export is not resumed immediately, the concerned people fear that few thousand people of Satkhira people will be left without work.