GWADAR: A fisherman caught a rare fish weighing 48kg off the coast of Jewani, from Pishkan, Gwadar, which was sold for a whopping Rs7.2 million, it emerged on Sunday.

According to Sajid Haji Ababakar, the owner of the boat credited with catching the prized croaker fish, the vessel was being skippered at the time by Waheed Baloch of Pishkan.

Deputy Director for Fisheries in Gwadar Ahmed Nadeem confirmed that he had never come across a fish that had fetched a greater price.

At one time during the auction, said Mr Ababakar, the price of the fish had gone up to Rs8.64m. “However, after taking into account the discounts allowed under our traditions, we settled for a price of 72 lakhs,” he said.

Abdul Rahim Baloch, marine biologist and assistant director for environment at the Gwadar Development Authority, said the demand for the large croaker fish was very high in Europe and China.

“Some fish are expensive because of their meat. But this species (large croaker fish) has a high demand because parts of it are known for their use in medicine and surgery,” he said.