BAD weather, critical shortage of manpower and the lack of cold storage facilities are among reasons for the high prices of fish in the peninsula currently, fishermen groups said.

They dismissed claims by the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) that monopoly over the supply chain by certain groups is the cause for the current high prices.

Fish Industry General Association president Chia Tian Hee said LKIM chairman Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal may have been given incorrect information when he made the claim.

He suggested Hussin sit down with industry players for discussions and get a clearer picture of the situation.

Chia, referring to the economic theory of supply and demand, said the monsoon season that ended recently is the primary cause of the high prices as fishermen could not go out to sea and therefore the catch was low.

“Due to bad weather, many fishing boats dare not risk going to sea. The landings are therefore low to meet demand,” he said.

“This naturally led to the fish prices going up.”

Kedah Fishing Boat Owners Association chairman Toh Sang Chai agreed with Chia, pointing out that in Kedah, the fishermen sell the fish directly to the sellers.

He said LKIM therefore cannot argue that the use of middlemen is the cause of the high prices.

Association vice-president Abdul Khadzib Bakar told The Malaysian Insight that bad weather is not the only cause of the high prices. 

Khadzib said fishing boat owners face a critical shortage in manpower leaving crewless boats tied up at the jetties instead of doing what they are supposed to do – catch fish.

He also said Kedah fishermen have another predicament, which is the lack of a cold storage facility.

“For so many years, there have been cries to eliminate middlemen, but the practice persisted.

“The fish we catch are normally sold directly to vendors. The ones that are left unsold are then offered to the middlemen,” he said, explaining why there are no facilities to store the unsold catch.

Further down south, Kuala Lumpur Hoi Seng Fish Wholesalers’ Association chairman Sing Kian Hock said if there is a monopoly in the supply chain driving prices up, it does not make sense as the landings have now increased.

He said there is no need to release the frozen stock now either to depress prices.

Sing said only imported fish might be costly due to the exchange rate, with the low value of the ringgit and transport costs.

Hussin had also recently said LKIM will buy, process, and store fish on a large scale via a company appointed by the authority to eliminate monopolistic activities of certain groups.

He said he is confident the company will stabilise and reduce fish prices in the market.

“The subject of syndicate monopoly is not new as they have been outbuying fish in the landing zones during seasons of high catch to manipulate market prices,” Hussin added. – June 30, 2022.