PANAJI: The holy months of Shravan and Ramzan have proven to be a dampener for the business of the retail fish vendors, with the claims that there has been a 30-50 per cent dip in the business conducted by the fisherfolk in Panaji.
This is despite the fact that there is no dearth of good fish in the market apart from a 15-20 per cent decrease in fish prices as compared to the last 2-3 months, the fish vendors say.
Saving grace are the hoteliers, who the fish retailers say have kept the business running in this lean season.
However, the scenario does not seem to be all that bad what with the prices of vegetables and cereals skyrocketing, said a fish wholesaler, Mr Suresh Agarwal.
Other factors that go against the fishing business is the shortage of labourers and the bad weather, Mr Agarwal informed adding many trawlers are yet to venture into the waters.
Only half the number of trawlers, that too only the bigger ones have ventured into the high seas after Narali Pournima, he informed adding most of the labourers would return only after the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
This year weather conditions are not suitable for the small trawlers; only big trawlers dare to venture into the waters, he added.
On Thursday morning, big white prawns were being sold at ` 260 per kg, medium size prawns for ` 220 per kg, and solar shrimps at ` 80 a kg while big sized pomfrets were being sold for ` 300 a kg or two big pomfrets for ` 300 and black ones for ` 200 per kg.
Red snippers (tamosos) were being sold at ` 250 a kg, big sized ladies fish were costing ` 250-300 a kg, palu (local variety) were available at ` 150 a kg, squids at
` 100 a kg, king fish (medium sized) at ` 350-360 a kg, 8-10 big sized mackerels were sold at ` 100, medium sized 6-7 mackerels were available at ` 50 and a plateful of small mackerels were sold at ` 50, while ample of milk fish were seen but were available at ` 120 a kg, a portion was sold for ` 50 and plateful (big-sized) was sold for
` 100.
There were few takers for sardines; mixed variety of fish portions were sold cheap.
By and large the fish prices have remained static since the onset of monsoon.
