Kakinada Fishermen strike gold as 25 kg ‘kachidi’ fish, fetches record price of Rs 3.10 lakh

KAKINADA: A group of fishermen in Andhra Pradesh's Kakinada have caught a rare ‘kachidi’ fish, known for its medicinal value, and sold it at a whopping Rs 3.10 lakh in an auction. Normally found in the Sundarbans of West Bengal and off the coast of Bangladesh, the species is also called GoldFish for the price it fetches.

The fishermen caught the rare kachidi fish weighing about 25 kg at Kumbabishekam Dock in Kakinada on Saturday. As the news of the prized catch spread, several traders in Kakinada competed among themselves to buy the rare fish at the auction. Apart from fishermen, intermediaries who participated in the auction earned Rs 25,000 as their commission.

The fish generally weighs between 10 and 40 kg and its air bladder and flesh were used in preparing medicines by pharmaceutical companies. The dissolvable stitches were also made from its air bladder. Consumption of the kachidi fish also cures several health issues and it functions as a medicine, they said. Not only in India, there was a good demand for kachidi fish abroad and several traders competed to buy it.

Even in the past, several fishermen have caught the Kachidi fish in Andhra Pradesh and became millionaires overnight through their sales. But the fishermen also stated that kachidi fishes were spotted rarely in the sea coast of Andhra Pradesh, and if found, it was considered as a good sign. Earlier, Kachidi fishes have been found many times in East and West Godavari districts. The fish was also sold at a whopping Rs 4 lakh, local fishermen said.