It was a lucky Friday morning for a 45-year-old small-time fisherman, Albert Mastan, when he caught a 30-kg Ghol fish near the Pachubunder jetty in Vasai gaon. Expected to fetch Rs5 lakh in the international market, Mastan, who has been going through a financial crisis, is a happy man now.

Mastan said, “For the past few days, I hadn’t netted enough fish and so had been trying my luck since midnight. I was worried as I had to pay my daughter’s college fees. I kept at it as I wanted to earn at least Rs300-400. But when I least expected it, I ended up netting this huge fish.”

The Ghol fish has lot of demand in the international market and fetches more than Rs5 lakh. The Singaporean and Malaysian markets are known to use the fish’s gills and heart for their medicinal properties.

“I will export this fish as it has a lot of demand in the international market due to its organs’ medicinal properties. I expect more than Rs5 lakh for it. This is the first time I have netted such a huge fish. I am going to cherish this moment forever as I was going through a financial crisis and it’s over now,” said an overjoyed Mastan.

He added that due to human interference, fishing in the area has been reducing. “Less fish are now found near this creek as the pollution level in the water has increased. It’s time the government did something about it,” he said.

About Ghol fishIts scientific name is Protonibea Diacanthus. It is considered amongst the most-expensive variety. Its heart is called ‘Sea Gold’, which is an important ingredient in making a variety of medicines. Its fins are used by pharmaceutical companies to manufacture dissolvable stitches and are also used in wine purification. Ghol reportedly sells in the Mumbai market for nearly Rs650 per kg.