The daily auction at the Al Wakra fish market has seen a considerable increase in the prices of most types of fish recently, especially varieties such as hamour and safi.
Local Arabic daily Arrayah reported that the rising prices could be mainly attributed to the low catch due to the changing weather conditions and strong winds.
Over the weekend, the market received around 28 tonnes of different types of fish every day compared to an average daily supply of around 40 tonnes before, which caused the retail prices to go up as demand remained almost the same, according to the report.
A number of sellers and customers told the daily that they understand that the increasing prices could be mainly attributed to the drop in supply as many fishermen avoid going out to the sea during strong winds. Further, the sellers expected a further rise in fish prices over the coming days due to the "continued unstable weather conditions and strong winds".
Mohamed al-Sulaiti, a frequent customer at the market, said it is normal that the prices of fish change and fluctuate from time to time and cannot be fixed at a certain rate due to the changes in supply and demand, for natural or market-related reasons.
Al-Sulaiti said he perfectly understands that the low supply of fish at the market would certainly lead to higher retail prices. However, he stressed that he always prefers to buy directly from the daily auction as the prices would still be lower than at other suppliers. Also, better-quality fish is ensured.
Another customer Hassan al-Ali said the authorities concerned should exercise tighter control on the market to save customers from such big fluctuations in prices. However, he stressed that the fish market is still his preferred place for buying fish.
Meanwhile, health inspectors at Al Wakra Municipality's health control section have continued to exercise tight control on the market to ensure that all types and quantities of fish on daily display at the market are of good quality and fit for consumption.
