Iftar costly due to soaring fish prices in Kozhikode

KOZHIKODE: The soaring prices  of fish due to the trawling ban have put the city folks  in  trouble during the Ramzan season.  Fish  is one of the main ingredients for almost all the traditional Muslim dishes. 

With only country boats  doing the fishing from June 15,  fish has become a rare commodity. From fish pathiri to fish biriyani, meen chooru, meen chattipathiri, meen balls, meen samosa, meen cutlet and meen anam,  a good part of Iftar starters and main course are prepared with fish.  Chicken is the  last preference compared to fish, said Sumaija Asghar, a housewife.

The main fishes used are anchovy, crab, emperor, mackerel, pomfret, tuna, king mackarel, green chromide and seer fish, which have become very costly for a middle class family.

The  price of a kg of  seer  fish touched Rs 1,000 a couple of days ago. ‘King mackerel’ and ‘green chromide’  are  sold at Rs 350 to Rs 400 per kg and ‘vila’ and ‘para’ cost Rs 300 to Rs 350 per kg. 

The average market price of seer fish, the most sought-after  variety, used to be Rs 600. Even sardine  now costs  Rs 200 per kg. It is the local or the traditional fishermen who are cashing in on the situation.