Unlike the usual hustle and bustle, things have been quiet at the Kuala Kedah fishermen’s market in Alor Star in the fishing port of Kuala Kedah in Malaysia.
Khadijah Ahmad, 55, is one of the few fishmongers who are still plying their trade at the market, albeit with fewer fishes to offer.
“I don’t have much to sell today. The supply has been dwindling for almost a week now,” Khadijah said as she stared at her table which has a handful of small tenggiri, senangin and gelama fishes.
Many other fishmongers at the market have been out of business for days as they were not getting seafood supply from local fishermen.
“The frequent stormy weather and strong waves made it very hard for coastal fishermen to venture out to sea.
“Whenever they don’t go out fishing, we as fishmongers also take a beating as we depend on them for the supply,” added Khatijah.
Meanwhile, Abdul Hamid Bahari, the chairman of the National Fishermen’s Association (Nekmat) acknowledged that the supply shortage had forced the prices of seafood to jump.
The notorious weather however, was just one of the association’s concerns, said Abdul Hamid.
He said increasing costs of fuel have also resulted in lesser marine catches, which in turn are pushing prices up.