Shortage of supply pushing price of ‘ikan kembung’ up — Shabery

KEMAMAN: The shortage of ‘ikan kembung’ or Indian mackerel supply at fish landing jetties nationwide has caused the price of the fish to be unstable and quite costly of late, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministrer Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek admitted.

He said observations done at fish landing jetties revealed that the price of the fish had indeed risen to RM12 per kilogramme.

“If there is a shortage of the fish at the landing jetties, we have to admit that the price will definitely go up, so it is difficult for me to force the fishermen to sell at normal price because they had to sail further, face rough sea conditions, spend more time and energy, use more fuel for their boats...not to mention other risks and dangers they had to face to bring the fish to the jetties.”

He said this to reporters after checking the gotong-royong programme at the Gelombang Nelayan Nasional (GNN) 2017 site at the Kuala Kerteh beach here yesterday.

Shabery, who is also Kemaman Member of Parliament, said wholesale and retail fishmongers were also facing certain risks and would definitely work out their profit margin, hence increase the price of fish sold to the consumers.

“It’s already October and the monsoon season is coming with its rough seas, and since the price of Indian mackerel is on the rise, there is a possibility that the price of other fish will also go up,” he said, adding that, right now, there was no technology that could enable Indian mackerel to be bred in fish farms like the species of baramundi or tilapia, which may stabilise the price at all time. — Bernama