Pakistani fisherman's overnight millionaire status from selling rare fish
Karachi, November 11: In a miraculous turn of fate, Haji Baloch, a fisherman hailing from the impoverished Ibrahim Hyderi fishing village in Karachi, Pakistan, encountered an extraordinary windfall. Baloch and his team netted a rare species known as the "golden fish" or "Sowa" in the local dialect from the depths of the Arabian Sea on a fateful Monday.
This invaluable catch, believed to possess remarkable medicinal properties, was auctioned at the Karachi harbor on Friday morning. Mubarak Khan of the Pakistan Fishermen Folk Forum revealed that the entire yield fetched an astounding 70 million rupees.
The Sowa fish is an exceptionally prized and rare find, as it is renowned for its purported healing and medicinal attributes. Extracts from its belly are rumored to contain substances of immense therapeutic value, some even used in surgical procedures. Baloch disclosed that a single fish from this unique haul could command a price of around 7 million rupees at the auction.
Weighing between 20 to 40 kilograms and capable of growing up to 1.5 meters, this sought-after fish garners significant interest from East Asian countries. Beyond its commercial value, the Sowa fish holds cultural and traditional importance, finding utility in both traditional medicine and local culinary practices.
Baloch recounted the remarkable discovery: "We were fishing in the open sea of Karachi...when we came across this huge cache of golden fish, and it was a windfall for us." He expressed his intention to share the earnings with his crew of seven individuals.
The fish's appearance near the coast is primarily limited to its breeding season, making such a substantial catch a rare and fortuitous event for the local fishermen.
- With inputs from agencies
