Prices of deep sea fish go up

Fishing has gone down different parts of the country, pushing up prices of deep sea fish including yellowfin tuna (kanneli) and skipjack tuna (kalhubilamas) – part of everyday diet of Maldivians.

Fish prices in the start of this Ramadan – which were comparatively low – have now risen up.

Iced deep sea fish of about one-and-a-half-feet long are being sold between MVR 80 – 180 per kilo, while fresh deep sea fish two-feet-long are being sold between MVR 250 – 300.

A two-feet skipjack tuna is now being sold for MVR 80 – 180 per kilo.

Most of the yellowfin tuna being sold in market have length of two-feet. It is being sold at the rate of MVR 40 – 75 per kilo.

One-sixth of a yellowfin tuna is being sold for MVR 50.

Fish-sellers interviewed attributed the rise in fish prices to fall is fishing in Male’ region.

“The fish is being fished from very far away. Fishing is currently best in Th. Atoll region. But fishing is not really that great in that region either. So fish can only be sold at these prices after fishing from so far away,” said a fisherman.

Availability of reef fish in the market is low, while mushimas (bigeye scad) is being sold for MVR 10 and a cup of rehi (silver sprat) is being sold for MVR 15.