Fish prices down but fisherfolk still in troubled waters

They complain of Southern and Indian fishermen stealing their stocks

Fish prices have decreased this month due to an increase in supplies combined with low demand.

Despite the decrease in prices fisherfolk said they were finding it difficult to continue their fishing activities, due to a shortage of kerosene.

A fisherman needs 20 to 30 litres of kerosene for fishing activities, which is now Rs. 365 for a litre. It was Rs.70 for a litre before the prevailing economic crisis.

"Even though fisherfolk go to the sea for fishing, due to a lack of customer demands they had decreased selling prices. This was also a contributing reason for the decrease in fish prices," National Fishermen’s Solidarity movement senior officia A. Jesuthasan said.

"We fear that people will be back in queues again to buy fish,” he said.

But fishermen are concerned that the Government will not address their issues.

He also said bad weather conditions were also a reason some fisherfolk did not go fishing as strong winds could topple their vessels and they could lose their lives.

According to a report from the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute, the highest price decrease of 20% was noted for 'thora fish' due to a high supply from the Northern coastal belt. The price of a kilo of this fish ranged between Rs.1000 and Rs. 2100.

A price decrease of 19% was noted for 'mora' due to an inconsistency of the supply from Kalmunai and Valaichchenai and a kilo was priced between Rs. 650 and Rs. 750.

Retail prices of all kinds of fresh fish had decreased in line with the decrease of wholesale prices. High price decreases were also reported for kelawalla and salaya.

“The only solution is to reduce the price of kerosene,” Jaffna District Fishermen Association President Annailingam Annaraasa told the Sunday Times.

He said high kerosene prices were affecting all fisherfolk in the country.

It was also reported that more than 1000 women were working in crab factories in Jaffna and Kilinochchi. Due to these high prices and no supply of seafood they could lose their jobs and this would affect the local economy.

“If only a fisherman’s family dies due to poverty, will then the government consider and solve this issue?” Mr Annaraasa asked.

He also said people living in cities may not care but fisherfolk were facing real poverty and were losing their lives.

Some save the money of purchasing kerosene and allocate it to fulfill their food needs for at least one week.

There were reports of Northern fisherfolk complaining that apart from the Indian fisherfolk, Southern fisherfolk were also conducting fishing activities in the North from Mullaitivu to Mayiliddy fishing harbour in Jaffna.

Mullaitivu District Fishermen's Co-operative Societies Association Chairman V. Arulnathan said around 150 boats from the Southern province were engaged in fishing in the North.

These fisherfolk from the South go towards the northern waters due to strong winds from the southern seas. But Jaffna fisherfolk complained they were stealing their fish stocks.

Apart from kerosene, the oil mixed with kerosene to make the boat engines work costs around Rs. 2000 a litre. The price was Rs. 1000 a litre before the economic crisis.

Mr Arulnathan also said Indian Fishermen continued to destroy our small fish and those fish species were not breeding.

The Fisheries Ministry instructed the Sri Lanka Navy to chase away several boats from Tamil Nadu in India. They were trespassing in Lankan waters and were engaged in illegal bottom trawling.