With fuel prices on boil, seafood prices surge by 50% at Kasimedu

With the surge in diesel prices and less than 20 trawlers venturing into the sea, the rates of seafood has doubled at Kasimedu fishing harbour on Sunday with big demand and supply gap. Fishermen noted that at least Rs 2 lakh was spent on the maintenance and fuel, yet they face a loss.

“With the annual fishing ban to begin from April 15, only less than 50 per cent of boats went for fishing, of which around 20 trawlers returned on Sunday. We caught at least 30 tonnes of seafood, so the prices doubled, “ said M Rajan, a fisherman and wholesale trader at Kasimedu fishing harbour.

Fishermen with no proper catch in Tamil Nadu, go to Andaman and Orissa for fishing. Nowadays, the trawlers venture only once in a month while it was twice or thrice in a month and earlier.

“We didn’t have brisk sales as the prices increased by 50 per cent. Generally, the retailers in the city purchase at least 50 kg of fish per head every weekend. But with the price surge, they bought only 25 kg of seafood. Also, the fish markets in South Chennai receive fish from various districts and states so the prices would be cheaper compared to here. So, the customers buy fish there. We spend at least two - three lakh on the maintenance, yet we don’t make any profit,” said Prabhakaran R, another wholesale trader at the market.

Seer fish (vangiram) was sold for Rs 800 - Rs 900 per kg, red snapper (Sankara) and anchovy (nethili) for Rs 400 - Rs 450 per kg, black pomfret Rs 400 per kg, prawns Rs 500 per kg, and squid Rs 350 - Rs 400 per kg.