DAMMAM: Fish prices have risen by 25 percent across the Kingdom over the last three days because of depleted catches resulting from bad weather in the Eastern Province. The stormy weather prevented fishermen from going out to sea. There was a severe shortage in supply over the past three days, said traders at the Dammam Fish Market Friday. Vendors at the wholesale fish market in Qatif confirmed that there had been a price hike because of a shortage of fish. Prices of some popular varieties have doubled since Monday. “The prices were relatively low for the last two weeks but they went up suddenly after the cold and windy weather. Any fall in prices can be expected only with a change in the weather conditions,” said a fisherman in the Saihat area. Fish varieties like Safi and Rubeeb were selling Thursday at the highest prices this season. Both cost SR45 a kilogram, about two times higher than the normal price, while smaller varieties were available from SR15 to SR18. Prices of Hamour shot up from SR25 to SR35 in two days while Kingfish also saw a similar price hike, reaching SR45 a kilogram Thursday. Salmon fillets, according to fish traders at Qatif's wholesale fish market, cost SR40 a kilogram, up from SR32 a kilogram previously. A whole salmon cost SR35 a kilogram. “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 Abdul Kareem, an Indian national who has been selling fish for many years at Jubail fish market. The risky nature of the profession is making many fishermen quit and opt for other occupations. This means fewer fishermen going out to sea resulting in a reduced supply at local markets.
