JEDDAH: As the hot summer temperatures and number of summertime visitors to Jeddah continue to rise, so does the price of seafood products.
Popular types of fish consumed in Eastern Province cities such as Dammam and Jubail have recently seen an increase in prices as much as 30 percent while cities in Makkah province, especially Jeddah, have witnessed daily price fluctuations by as much as SR40. Fishermen point out that catches tend to decline in the summer months as fish descend to deeper, cooler waters. Additionally, they say their overhead costs are on the rise.
"When thinking about the local market prices of fish one shouldn't overlook the fact that it is getting more expensive to go fishing, especially due to the cost of fuel, boat maintenance and funds associated with keeping a fishing crew," said Afzal Abdul Hafeez, a Pakistani fisherman who has worked in the Jeddah downtown fish market for eight years. "All of these costs are passed on to the local consumer, which inflates the price during different times of the year." Some local consumers don't believe the reasons given.
"I believe that fish traders know that Jeddah residents or those living in cities on the sea are moderate users of seafood due to its year-round availability," said Zakir Al Aseel, a disappointed customer. "For this reason I think these traders are taking advantage of the fact that many tourists from the central region - who do not have the chance to eat fish regularly like we do - are visiting and (fishmongers) have raised prices in order to make more money during the summer." As a result, consumers are again asking authorities to step in to protect their rights and stabilize prices. The five-month seasonal ban on shrimping ended on July 31, but the fishing ban on the popular najla (a type of red grouper) is still currently in effect.
Another positive initiative is the Ministry of Agriculture's promotion of fish farming in the Kingdom. According to statistics from the Aquaculture Department within the ministry the business has come of age with two successful projects on the Red Sea coast.
The first project is the SR1.3-billion National Prawn Company (NPC)-touted as one of the world's largest fisheries projects-being established by the Saudi Fisheries Company.
"Fish farming is a suitable and vital alternative for traditional fishing, which has been exploited to the maximum," said Mohammed Al-Shahli, director of the Aquaculture Department in the Ministry of Agriculture, in a white paper on the subject. "Furthermore it is likely that production volume (of traditionally caught fish) will start to decline because of illegal marine fishing that does not allow enough time for fish and shrimp to reproduce and grow. Since international demand is increasing consistently, it is unlikely that the fish supply will be able to meet this demand without the contribution of fish farming and (other) alternatives."
