Fish to get pricey during festive month

Mangaluru: Prices of premium fish, which had moderated in the last 45 days, are likely to rise with the onset of festive season and arrival of NRIs from the Middle East.
Already there has been a 10 to 15% rise in the prices of fish compared with the prices a fortnight ago. At a KFDC outlet in the city, the prices have seen an increase. Seer fish which was retailing around Rs 480 per kilo last fortnight has gone up to Rs 600 per kg now.Likewise, the prices of white and black pomfret have also seen an increase of Rs 60 and Rs 100 per kg respectively. The price jump is also determined by the size of the fish. If the seer fish weight crosses 2 kg, then the price will automaticaly go up. This month also heralds the wedding season and also the arrival of NRIs from the Middle East for the festivities and to attend weddings. Kamath Caterers proprietor Sudhakar Kamath says he prefers medium size seer fillets, which keep the price check around Rs 540 per kilo lest it becomes prohibitively expensive. The prices of mackerel have also seen an upward spiral with a kilogram of medium to large fish costing around Rs 170. The smaller once retail at Rs 110 per kilo. This season also saw a decline in fish catch due couple of fishing holidays. Harish Kotian from Baikampady says the Barkur festival on Friday and the Eid Milad holiday saw no fishing boats venturing into the sea resulting in less fish in the market. He says that with trawlers (deep sea fishing vessels) returning in a day or two, fish prices should stabilise.