Seafood prices goes up at Kasimedu market as annual fishing ban to start from this week

"Usually, before the annual ban all the fishermen would go for catch as they won't have any sources of income for at least two months. Due to fuel prices continue to increase only less than 200 trawlers ventured into the sea, so we were able to catch around 10 - 15 tonnes of seafood," said Prabhakaran K, a fisherman at Kasimedu fishing harbour.

"Since the fishing ban to start from this week, more than 2,000 customers purchased seafood from early morning. We would have a brisk sale this entire week," he added.

Traders are worried that due to climate change and sea is polluted, they were able to catch fewer fishes than usual for the past two years. If no steps are to be taken it will impact the fishermen livelihood in the future.

"From next week, the seafood rates to surge above 50 percent as the market to receive stocks only from neighbouring states including Kerala. If the diesel price comes down after two months more trawlers would venture for catching fish if not the prices will remain high due to shortage in supply," said Muthukumar T, a fisherman and wholesale trader at the market.

With the prices surged by 40 percent at the fish market, seer fish (vanjiram) sold for Rs 800 - Rs 900 per kg, red snapper (sankara), prawns for Rs 400 per kg, squid Rs 350 per kg, anchovy (nethili) Rs 300 - Rs 350 per kg, and black pomfret Rs 450 per kg.