Worries increase for fishermen in Mumbai as supply reduces and becomes expensive

Even though April has dawned this year, the prices of fish are still rising in the city of Mumbai, and one of the many reasons for this is the unavailability of fish near the coast. It is said that the fishermen who fish along the shore are struggling to find them, and instead, they have to sail into the deep sea which adds to more trouble on a daily basis. 

Fish sellers have been hit hard with a declining amount of fish, due to which, the prices of the same, in the market these days, has increased. Reports state that:

1. In the last few years, various constructions along the coast of Mumbai have affected the biodiversity of the sea. Several projects are ongoing and the work is also underway on the coastal road project, which has impacted the business a lot.

2. Traditional fishermen are also being affected by the fishing done by Persian boats, say the locals in Mumbai.

3. Species like Kardi and Wet Bombil are abundant during the months of March and April, and therefore, drying of these fish is also done on a large scale. But this year, the community has seen a shortage of these fish. 

4. The amount of pomfret species of fish has also decreased, due to which the cost has gone up, fishermen said. This crisis has also resulted in increased cost in the wholesale market. Furthermore, consumers are not buying fish due to rising prices resulting in a lot of wastage. As a result, the women of Agari-Koli, who run their families by selling fish, are facing several concerns.

6) Consumers who used to visit the fish market earlier, have stopped visiting the same due to the coronavirus outbreak, and the number of visitors has not yet increased. After the relaxation of lockdown, the business has slowly resumed, however, it is said to be below satisfactory, as they are not buying anything due to the rising prices or the shortage. On the other hand, online shopping has become a favourite these days, and hence despite the ease in lockdown, visitors at several fish markets including Mahim, Colaba, Sion, Dharavi, Khar, Marol, have declined significantly.