Sharq fish market opens today using pre-booked entry codes
KUWAIT: Huge crowds of customers gathered outside the Sharq fish market on June 1st following Kuwait Municipality’s decision to open fish markets around Kuwait after the total curfew was eased. Customers, who have been craving fresh local fish following the curfew imposed by the cabinet to control the spread of COVID-19 as well as Ramadan, were disappointed to find the market’s doors still closed and no fish was on sale.
In this regard, Sharq fish market manager Meshaal Al-Sheeha stressed that the market will be opened today after coordinating with relevant bodies to organize customer entry using the pre-booked entry codes. Shoppers can make appointments to shop at the fish market via the www.moci.shop shopping portal.
Kuwait Municipality had announced reopening the fish market on the first day of return to partial lockdown on Sunday, but Sheeha explained that the documents to allow re-opening the market arrived late Sunday without containing details about any special reopening plans. “Therefore, the re-opening was postponed pending coordination with relevant authorities,” he said, explaining that Kuwait Municipality, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition, the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources and Ministry of Interior need to come up with the plan to organize entry according to health precautions set by the cabinet, mainly preventing crowds and gatherings inside and outside the market.
Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Fishermen Union Chairman Thaher Al-Sowayyan said that the local market is eager for local fish’s return, blaming the government’s decision to ban fishing for ‘Zbaidi’ (pomfrit) for 45 days and postpone fishing ‘Meed’ (mullet) till July 1st for “depriving customers from those two favorable dishes for Kuwaitis.” “The decisions also frustrated fishermen banned from fishing upon Interior Ministry instructions,” he added.
Accordingly, Sowayyan urged PAAAFR to allow fishing pomfrit and mullet effective June 1st, which is the usual annual date, adding that postponement had been decided two years ago because this date coincided with the holy month of Ramadan, which is not the case this year.