A depleted catch due to bad weather, scattered rains and sandstorms in the Eastern Province and nearby areas during the last couple of weeks have pushed up the price of fish by about 25 percent across the Kingdom. The price of fish has shot up to a record high due to a severe shortage in supply over the past six days, traders at the Dammam Fish Market said Saturday. Vendors in the Qatif wholesale fish market said prices have soared over the past weeks due to the rough weather. Inclement weather prevents fishermen from going out to sea. “Prices were relatively low early last month, but they shot up suddenly after the appearance of cold and windy weather. Any fall in prices can be expected only with a change in weather conditions,” said a fisherman in Saihat area. Varieties like Safi and Rubeeb were selling Friday at one of the highest prices in recent weeks. Both cost SR40 per kg, about two times higher than the normal price while smaller varieties were available from SR15 to 18. Prices of Hamour shot up from SR20 to SR35 in one day while Kingfish also saw a similar price hike, reaching SR45 per kg on Friday. “Many varieties of fish were either in short supply or not available at all. The demand was also low due to the high prices. Normally, we get more customers during this season but the bad weather has stopped many people from coming,” said Shihab, an Indian fishmonger in Jubail. Along with the increase in the cost of fish, shrimp prices have also gone up due to the imposition of a six-month official ban on catching shrimp during their breeding period. The ban became effective on Feb. 1 and will continue until July 30. Due to the ban, shrimp lovers are forced to buy shrimp imported from Oman and UAE.
