Fishermen prove stronger party, deprive local market of ‘mead’ fish; demand high
Consumers forced to pay steep prices for fish
KUWAIT CITY, July 28: Fishermen have finally proven that they are the strongest party in the equation after succeeding to deprive the market of ‘mead’ fish at the height of its season, in order to protest the imposition of fixed prices for mead fish, reports AlRai daily.
Baskets of mead fish can be seen leaving the ports and taken quietly to cars from where they are delivered to customers who order them after viewing ads sent via WhatsApp.
The cost of one basket of mead fish is around KD 45 including the charges for the delivery service.
As for the consumers who are painfully deprived of this delicious fish which is known for its high fat and Omega 3 content, they are now paying whatever the delivery men demand, so that they are not denied.
The level of deprivation is increased due to the bad weather conditions of strong winds and high humidity, in addition to tightening of control over the places where fishing is prohibited.
It is worth highlighting that Kuwaiti shrimp faces the same situation as the mead fish. It has become available to consumers via delivery service even though it is not allowed to fish shrimp yet. The question to ask is – When is fishing permitted? Will the fish prices increase, like with the mead fish?
Also, the Kuwaiti fish Al-Shahami currently costs between KD 40 and KD 42. The cost of one basket of mead fish used to cost KD 35 prior to being allowed to fish but the cost soon increased to KD 45 after allowing the fishing of mead.
In a related context, the Minister of Commerce and Industry Khaled Al-Roudhan has issued a ministerial decision, obligating fish brokers to refer a copy of the daily transaction record to the Central Statistical Bureau.
Al-Roudhan’s decision No. 129/2020 amends the text of article 19 of resolution No. 421/2019, which states that “a broker must maintain a special record issued and approved by the ministry. This includes the quantity of fish or shrimp over which brokerage was carried out, the value of each transaction, the way it was paid for, as well as names of those to whom it was sold. A copy of the auction must be given to the observer on a daily basis.”
Following the amendment, the text has become as follows – “The broker must maintain a special record issued by the ministry and whose pages are approved. It includes the deals of fish or shrimp brokered in the brokerage business, the amount and value of each deal, the way it was paid for, and the names of the people in whose favor they were sold. It is important to hand a copy of the record daily to both the Central Statistical Bureau and the auction observer.”