East Midnapur: A rare Giant Devil Ray weighing 600 kilograms was caught by an Odisha fisherman and brought to the Digha coast in West Bengal on Wednesday.
The Giant Devil Ray or ‘Chilshankar’ (local name) was carried to Digha Mohana fish market and was bought by a fish wholesaler of Ranaghat area for around Rs 50,000.
“A fish ‘Chilshankar’ was caught by a fisherman in Odisha which came to my stock point at Digha Mohana for sale. It is a huge fish. A fish wholesaler from Ranaghat bought that fish and this fish mainly sold as food,” said Nabakumar Paira, fish trader and Chairman of Digha Fishermen and Fish Traders Association.
Dr Goutam Ghosh, Zoologist and professor of Zoology Department, Midnapore College said that it was illegal to sell the fish as it is an endangered species.
“The Giant Devil Ray (Mobula Mobular) is a rare species and is categorised as endangered. It can be found in Mediterranean sea but can be traced to tropical waters. They can grow up to 16 to 17 feet and weight up to 1.5 ton. Selling this fish is totally illegal,” said Ghosh.