Popular fish varieties are now too dear for ordinary buyers in Kerala

In Kochi, there is an unprecedented shortage of fish in the market, with some of the popular fish varieties virtually disappearing from the unending rows of stalls that once dotted the city and its suburbs

Is fish slowly disappearing from the kitchens of Kochiites? That is the question being asked in the midst of an unprecedented shortage of fish in the market, with some of the popular fish varieties virtually disappearing from the unending rows of stalls that once dotted the city and its suburbs.

Constantly rising sea temperature has driven shoals of fish off the cost, forcing both trawlers and traditional canoes to set out into deeper waters in search of remunerative catch, according to Charles Antony from Chellanam, a traditional fisherman, who has left fishing for greener pastures. Fishermen with long experience say that the extreme heat condition will not only affect current fish catch but will also affect their spawning patterns, possibly giving rise to future shortage of fish.

Wholesale markets around Kochi do not give an impression of an abundance they exuded in the past, says Sunesh Bhasi, a hotelier, who is struggling to balance the market price of fish with the price at which it is served. At a point it becomes unattractive for the buyer, he says about the spiralling prices of varieties such as Indian mackerel and king fish.

He added that mackerel now comes at ₹360 a kg, up from around ₹180 to ₹220 a kg early this year. The price of oil sardines is also up. The normal oil sardines caught off the Kerala coast are not seen around. The lesser sardines cost ₹220 a kg in the wholesale market. At these price levels, they are out of bounds for ordinary fish eaters, who used to consume anchovies and sardines. They not only came cheap but also fulfilled their role as great nutrition providers for poor families.

An online fish seller says there are takers for some varieties of fish, but fresh fish is costly, and many have switched to frozen fish from reliable sources. Shrimps are available but not abundantly. They cost between ₹300 and ₹600 a kg in the fresh fish market depending on the size and variety.

The situation is grim, says Charles George, a trade union activist among traditional fishermen. He blamed the rising temperature for the current crisis-like situation and called on the government to initiate studies on the virtual disappearance of oil sardines these past seasons and in the present conditions.

A study by scientists at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute said Kerala would require around 10.30 lakh tonnes of fish by 2025 from the level of 9.43 lakh tonnes in 2020. The demand-supply gap will be more than three lakh tonnes by 2025. The per capita fish consumption in the State is above the national average, and the per capita consumption will be 32 kg by 2025, up from 30 kg in 2020.