Seafood lovers shell-shocked as prices of fishes skyrocket due to poor arrival

Fishing ban in southern districts leads to soaring seafood prices, impacting consumers and fishermen until August.

Even as demand for seafood is going up everyday, arrival of fishes in the markets in the southern districts has fallen alarmingly resulting in a phenomenal increase in price due to the 60-day annual fishing ban that came into effect on April 15.

 Fish markets in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari, which would receive catch from mechanised boats in Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari, would meet the seafood needs of the consumers in the southern districts. Since 1,200-odd mechanized boats being operated from five fishing harbours of Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari districts would supply over 1,500 tonnes of fishes a day to the markets in these four districts and neighbouring Kerala and also for export, the prices would be under control due to the decent arrival.

 After the annual fishing ban was enforced on April 15 along the east coast of Tamil Nadu, nearly 800 boats remain berthed in Thoothukudi Fishing Harbour, Tharuvaikulam Fish Landing Centre and Chinna Muttom Fishing Harbour and the seafood lovers have to be content with the small harvest of the country boats. Major portion of the fishes being harvested at Colachel and other fishing harbours of Kanniyakumari district go the Kerala markets.

 “Since the demand is very high now, especially due to the summer holidays, and the arrival is minimal, the seafood prices are skyrocketing,” says fish trader Soris of Valliyoor, who buys fish from Vaavathurai in Kanniyakumari for his fish stall in Valliyoor everyday during the ban period.

 Sardine, which was sold at ₹150 per kg before the fishing ban, is now being sold for ₹ 320 a kg while the premium seer fish (5 Kg and above) is sold anywhere between ₹1,600 and ₹1,800 a kg now – a rise of ₹600 per kg after the ban.

 Similarly, vela meen (emperor fish) is being sold at ₹530 a kg (₹350 before fishing ban), ooli meen (great barracuda) at ₹650 a kg (₹ 450 then).

 A basket of sardine fish (15 kg), which was sold at ₹2,200 before the fishing ban is now being auctioned at ₹3,500 by the country boat fishermen in the ‘first market’ in the coastal hamlets.