Dwindling fish catch is being blamed for the rising price of fishes in the market. The price of sardines, which went up to Rs.140 a kg in the retail market last week is an indication of the shape of things, said an official in Matsyafed on Wednesday.
Fishermen have reported poor catch. Though the dry months are generally considered the leanest season for fisheries, 2016 has proved a hard year, said a fishermen.
Warming of the Arabian Sea waters has resulted in schools of fishes migrating and more catch is now being reported from the Bay of Bengal than on the West Coast.
Supplies have fluctuated over weeks during the New Year, said the Matsyafed official, who pointed out that every-day fishes, sardines and mackerels, too were becoming scarce. There is also a scarcity of seer fish, he said.
Officials of Marine Product Export Development Authority’s conservation wing NETFISH have warned against fishing for juveniles, a practice that will have devastating effect on future stocks.
Sardines, most of them of small size, were selling for Rs.110 a kg on Wednesday. Mackerels were selling for Rs.210 a kg while threadfin breams were selling for Rs.150 a kg.
The price of seer fish (whole), caught on hooks, was about Rs.650 a kg.
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