First weekend after Puratasi month, fish prices head north

The demand for seafood was more compared to meat. “As this is the first Sunday after Puratasi, more fish and prawns were sold today. Usually, the stock gets over by 1.30 pm. But on Sunday, it was over by 9 am itself. As expected, the prices were much higher than usual. Seer fish (vanjiram) was sold for Rs 750, horse mackeral (parai) at Rs 350, pomfret (vaval) white at Rs 1,000, and black at Rs 600, and red snapper (sankara) at Rs 350 (big), Rs 250 (medium), Rs 150 (small),” said R Sivalingam, Secretary, Thesiya Meenavar Sangam.

Usually, when Puratasi month ends, the prices almost double than usual. “Tiger prawn was sold for Rs 1,300, flower prawn (big) was sold for Rs 1,000 and medium for Rs 550, kalra prawn for Rs 300-350, white prawn big for Rs 550 to Rs 600 and medium for Rs 350 to Rs 400. There is also a hike in lobster prices this month with rock lobster sold for Rs 1,750 (alive) and Rs 650 (dead),” said Vishnu MP from MPV Sea Foodz.