Ghol Fish: A Maharashtra Fisherman Becomes 'Crorepati' after Catching 'Fish With A Golden Heart'

The life of a fisherman is unpredictable – sometimes they trap many fishes in their net while many times they don’t even get a single. But a fisherman from Palghar, Maharashtra, had an unexpected turn of fortune a few days ago when he caught a seldom-seen fish. 

After the monsoon prohibition on fishing was removed last month, Chandrakant Tare, a fisherman from Murbe village in Palghar, took his boat to the sea with his team. Little did he know that a routine catch day would turn into a life changing experience. 

Tare noted that his fishing net was heavier than normal that day. The net had caught about 150 ghol fish when he hauled it out of the sea and onto his vessel, all members abroad were taken aback. 

The fish is not only a famous dish in India and other parts of the globe, but it also has a long list of health benefits. Ghol, commonly known as black-spotted croaker and scientifically known as Protonibea diacanthus, is regarded as the "fish with a heart of gold." Every component of the fish is considered valuable, with the skin being an excellent source of high-quality collagen that is utilised in both cosmetics and functional foods. 

Pharmaceutical companies make soluble stitches from the fins of fish. Fins are also utilized in the purification of wine. 

The crew members were so overwhelmed about the catch that they celebrated on board and even shot photographs and videos of it on their cell phones. Tare's catch was auctioned at the market, and the winning bid was Rs.1.33 crore, according to reports. 

This isn't the first time Palghar fisherman have become rich from ghol netting. 

Two fisherman brothers from the district 'struck gold' in 2018 when they caught the highly sought-after 'ghol' fish, which they managed to sell at an auction for a staggering Rs.5.5 lakhs.

The fish, which measured over 30 kilograms, was captured by two brothers, Mahesh and Bharat Meher. 

While returning to the Murbe coast after netting pomfrets and other types, they came across the valuable ghol and caught it.