Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Sep 6: As smaller fish are no longer being supplied to Kerala from here, fish prices have gone down. As a result, on Sunday, mackerel was sold at the fishing dock here for as low as Rs 55 per kg.

The reason for the fall in prices is that purse seine boats engaged in fishing are getting large catches of smaller fishes including mackerel. At the same time, smaller fishes are not being transported to Kerala and other places. As the sale of big catches are confined to local market, the prices have fallen. Till recently, fresh mackerels were sold for Rs 80 to 90 per kg.

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The fishermen attribute this to the mackerel catches being high in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In observance of certain religious austerities in Kerala, people do not consume fish till September 17, it is said. This has also influenced the fish prices.

There is good demand for high-quality fishes like pomfret, king fish, etc command good demand in Kerala, Goa, Gujarat etc and they get exported to these markets. However, when a boat full of pomfret and kingfish were caught here and at Malpe during the last week, the rate had come down to Rs 350 a kg. Still, kingfish, pomfret etc are sold in the local market at prices that are lower as compared to earlier one. Fresh fish are also available in hotels now. Because of this phenomenon, fishermen who get good catches are not able to make good money.