Fish prices increase with rising temperatures
Times News Service
MUSCAT: Rising temperatures have resulted in the prices of fish shooting up in Oman, vendors said.
Retailers at the Muttrah fish market explained that the price of fish appreciates, as the quantity of fish that makes its way into the market declines. They added that the opposite was also true, meaning that an abundance of fish translated to a dip in prices.
They clarified that fish preferred cooler waters and fishermen were able to catch them relatively easily during the winter because they are closer to the surface. In summers, however, it is much more difficult to do so, as the fish dive deeper as the water is cooler there.
The vendors added that the price was revised daily, if not every few hours, as fish came in and demand was gauged.
Abdul Aziz Qasim, a vendor at Muttrah Fish Market, said that the most marked inflation was seen in the prices of tuna as significantly fewer of the fish were coming into the market.
“This always happens because of the heat. A single tuna fish was going for as high as OMR40 earlier on Wednesday. Not too long ago, it was selling for anywhere between OMR18 and OMR20. Going further back to a couple of months ago, prices for the same fish were between OMR12 and OMR16,” he said.
Muttrah Fish Market
Sameer, who has been selling fish at the Muttrah Fish Market for 12 years, said that prices of some fish had risen more dramatically than others.
“This happens every summer. The heat drives the fish into deeper waters. Some varieties such as Kingfish have become more expensive than others. Kingfish used to cost OMR3.5, two months ago. Now, it costs OMR5.5 or OMR6. Also, a single rial will get you four mackerels today. The price is, of course, revised regularly,” he said.
Qasim said that exporting some fish to Dubai was marginally driving prices as well.
“Some fish are exported to Dubai. This will have some effect on the prices because fewer fish will mean prices going up. On the other hand, no fish is exported from Dubai to Muscat. It’s always the other way around.”