Increased demand from buyers coupled with a huge fall in arrivals has resulted in higher prices for some varieties of fish, in particular kingfish. A view of the Doha fish market. Picture: Shaji Kayamkulam.
By Ramesh Mathew
Staff Reporter
The soaring price of kingfish is expected to fall in coming days as good catch is reported by fishermen groups in the country.
The prices of kingfish and other sought after fish varieties hit the roof in the last few days due to a shortage of arrivals in the local markets.
Sources among suppliers said the prices had reached the levels of the 2013 summer which witnessed a similar hike owing to poor catch in and around the country's waters.
Speaking to this newspaper on Monday, a senior supplier said the price of kingfish varied between QR85 and QR95 a kilo in the wholesale markets in the last few days while hamour prices were in the region of QR55 and QR65 a kilo for the last few months.
While hoping for a fall in prices in the next few days, the supplier said a good catch could make kingfish much cheaper from the prevailing levels. "Depending on the quantities coming to the market, it could even reach the QR40 a kilo or below levels for kingfish," he said while adding that the quantities arriving for sales these days are much lower than the actual requirements of the local market.
The suppliers feel that the steep growth in the country's population in recent years has highlighted the need for more imports both from the GCC countries as well as from outside. However, the supply to the country has remained well behind the actual demand, said a major supplier to institutions and caterers.
Some of the senior fishermen whom this newspaper contacted said the density of availability in the seas around Qatar may perhaps be the highest in the region. "Still there is a big shortfall in the requirements of the market," said a fisherman.
Along with the expected fall in the prices of kingfish, the suppliers expect the prices of varieties as Sheri, Ishkar and Jesh are also likely to come down in the coming days owing to the improved catch, he said.
"The sea is seemingly clear even though the offshore region continues to be somewhat stormy. But the catch has been good in the last two days," said a fisherman, whose boats are among the hundreds of fishing vessels expected to return with big catch in the next 24 hours.
