Chennai: Sunday was a day of celebration for seafood lovers as it was the first day that the Kasimedu fish market opened after the 61-day ban period ended. But their happiness did not last long as the prices of fish varieties doubled due to lack of supply. Only a few boats had returned from the sea. But traders are hopeful that when the trawlers return next week, the prices may come down a little. “There was adequate supply of fish varieties in the city during the ban period. Today, thousands of customers thronged the market and this pushed up the prices. The prices of almost all fish have doubled compared to the normal rates in the market. For example, Seer fish (Vanjiram) which was selling at Rs 600 per kg during the ban period has now gone up to Rs 1,200 per kg,” said MV Vishnu, a wholesale trader at the Kasimedu fish market.
The trawlers ventured into the sea on Friday night, but only those with fibre boats returned to the shore on Sunday with about 5-7 tonnes of fish. The remaining fish will arrive in a week, and at least 30 tonnes of fish are expected to arrive in the market. Moreover, it is also possible that people may not be aware that the shutdown period is over. “Though there was a huge crowd today, on any other Sunday there would have been at least 2,000-3,000 customers in the market. But today there were probably only about 1,000 people,” Vishnu said. Retail shops could not sell fish at higher prices as wholesale prices were much higher. “On Sunday, we were forced to sell at the same price to boost sales. But, prices are expected to remain stable or increase further in the coming days. Moreover, fishermen are constantly being warned by the Meteorological Department not to venture into the sea, which will affect sales,” said U Ganesan, a retailer at the Chintadripet fish market. On the other hand, the annual ban has begun in Kerala. For the next two months, fish will be supplied to neighbouring states from the Kasimedu market. Fishermen and traders expect this to impact supply in the market and lead to further rise in prices.
