Unprecedented rise in seafood price due to fishing ban

On a rotational basis, 25 boats among the total fleet of around 400 are allowed fishing daily. Hence, the substantial decline in fishing output has triggered steep price increase, F Robert, president, Threspuram

Country Boat Fishermen Association, Thoothukudi, said on Tuesday. Further, he said usually country boats sail up to a distance of about 70 to 80 nautical miles to locate fishing grounds off Threspuram coast and even stay at sea for two or three days until they were content with the fish catch.

But owing to restrictions, each of the boats has to return shore the same night in haste after curtailing their fishing just to 10 or 12 nautical miles. Now, each of the boats could hardly net hundred kilos of fish against the average catch of about 300 to 400 kg, he said.

Arputharaj, seafood retailer, said even procurement price of sheer fish (seela) touched Rs1,000 a kilo against normal times when the same was procured at Rs 600 to Rs 700 depending on its size and weight. Other varieties such as ‘oola’, ‘vila’, ‘para’ witnessed an increase by Rs 200 to Rs 300 at procurement level itself.

But despite procuring fish variety at high price, many vendors could not even make enough to break even. As many consumers were taken aback by the rise in seafood price, temporary market has been witnessing a thin crowd, unusually.

Moreover, vendors were allowed to market fish till 10 am from 6 am. While the State government made it clear that essential food supplies were allowed till 1 pm, vendors had been forced to wind up even before 10 am, he said.