Truckloads of ice are brought from Khulna but these can hardly meet part of the demand. Many fishermen have stopped Hilsha netting due to lack of preservation facilities, Yusuf and some other traders and fishermen told this correspondent yesterday.

Yusuf also claimed at least Tk 205 crore Hilsha was rotten in past ten days only due to want of ice. To avoid this, many fishermen stopped going for fishing, which reduced the quantity fish rotting daily now, they said.

They said Sources 3,000 to 3500 cans of ice are produced daily in ice factories in coastal areas Barisal, Patuakhali, Barguna and Bhola districts against the minimum demand for 17,000 cans.

Deep sea fishing is virtually stopped now as rotten Hilsha worth around Tk 40 lakh were thrown into sea or Meghna estuary daily in past week, they claimed.

Golam Mustafa Chowdhury, president of Barguna district trawler owners association, said 19 ice factories in Patharghata coastal area can supply up to 1,000 cans of ice per day against the demands for 9,000 cans.

A trawler needs about 8 cans of ice daily for fishing, he added.

Siddikur Rahman, a leader of Kuakata Ice Factory Owners Association, said production of ice has come down drastically due to load shedding and low voltages of electricity. Motors at 10 factories went out of order due to low voltage and 26 ice factories in the area are closed for about a week, he claimed.

Since last Tuesday, only three factories are operating and they can produce around 250 cans of ice per day against the demands for 2,000 cans, he said.

Maznu Gazi, owner of Gazi Fishing in Kuakata, said around 4,000 trawlers are anchored at Mohipur fishing port due to ice crisis. Fishes worth Tk 20 lakh became rotten and were thrown into the sea and Meghna estuary due lack of ice.

Now we are trying to buy ice from Cox's Bazar and Bagerhat, which costs Tk 130 more per can and time also, he added.

Kalapara Upazila Fishing Trawler Crew and Fishermen Cooperative Association President Abdul Mannan Majhi said it is the peak season of Hilsha but ice crisis has dampened the whole business. Thousands of fishermen and traders are being affected, he said.

Anisuzzaman Khan Kamal, president of Barisal district ice factory owners association, said only three out of 14 ice factories in Barisal fishing port are now operating but they also can not produce sufficient ice due to load shedding and low voltage.

He ice factory owners in Barisal have invested over Tk 40 cores but they are also losing due to power crisis.

Yusuf Sikder said, "We are collecting ice from Khulna by truck which costs around Tk 400 more per can of ice".

They claimed load shedding continues for 11-13 hours a day in the region.