As meat shops remained closed across the city on Sunday, fish markets received an unprecedented crowd of buyers. The regular buyers, Bengalis were outnumbered at Kaiserbagh fish mandi and stock that lasts entire day ended by 3pm. Despite 30-50% increase in prices, people bought all kinds of fishes. Vendors were also seen teaching first timers how to cook fish. People started pouring since 10am at Kaiserbagh mandi as soon as vendors and retailers set shop and by noon it was overcrowded. Prices were high since morning in anticipation of increase in demand. Hilsa and pomfret fish and prawns were high in demand. According to a vendor Abdul, each counter stocks around 40-100kg fish of every variety like rohu, saur, mangur and betki but the stock that normally lasts till 7pm was exhausted by 3pm on Sunday. People said, it is a tough time and everyone has been forced to eat fish due to the strike of mutton and chicken after ban on buffalo meat. “We are chicken and mutton eaters and partake of fish only occasionally and now for the first time I am buying fish to cook at home and this too with the thought that eventually even fish vendors may join the strike,” said Mashkoor Husain Khan, a buyer at fish market. “Last Sunday, prawns cost Rs 700 per kg but today it was at Rs 1100 a kilo so we have no option but to shell out more,” said Rajeev Singh, another buyer. “After reading in the papers about chicken and mutton sellers’ call for indefinite strike, I bought 6kg fish, which we will store in the refrigerator for consumption throughout the week,” said Vishal.