Mangalore: Fish prices move north as supply falls short

TOI

Mangalore, 08 June 2012: This season fish seems to be out of the reach of the common man despite inflow of catch from Ratnagiri and Chennai to the city. The prices of fish which started peaking since the beginning of this year have never come down due to low catch and high demand.

 

The city gets about five to six truck loads of fish from Chennai and Ratnagiri, but demand is abnormally high. The fish catch in State’s coast is almost nil as adverse weather conditions have prevented fishermen from venturing into the sea, though monsoon fishing ban starts June 15.

 

Vinay Shetty of fish mongers says usually when fish from outside state arrive here during monsoon fishing ban here, prices stabilize at realistic level. This time fish catch has fallen all over the coast. Pomfret has disappeared from the market and seer sells at Rs 600-700 a kilogram. Mackerel which sells at Rs 65-80 in season has hit a high of Rs 130-150. Sardines, which are available locally and also from Chennai, are, also priced high at Rs 40 a kg three times more than the season prices.
Mustaffa CM, a commission agent, who gets fish from Chennai, says availability of fish from Chennai is also scarce. I have started getting fish from Thursday, which were lady fish and sardines. Today I got a box of sardines, which was Rs 800 per box (weighing 35/40 kg). Yesterday it was Rs 1,200. Small lady fish costs Rs 120 and the bigger once fetch good price at Rs 300,’’ he said.

 

Fisheries deputy director Suresh Kumar Ullal said the catch in state’s coast is hardly two percent due to adverse weather condition. As monsoon fishing ban has ended in East coast, we see some catch arriving here,’’ he said adding that the catch in east coast was also not encouraging.