Cyclone Tauktae hits fish supply to Pune, retail prices double

PUNE Retail prices of fish doubled in the city in the wake of a lack of fresh stock arriving from coastal districts hit by Cyclone Tauktae over the last three days

PUNE Retail prices of fish doubled in the city in the wake of a lack of fresh stock arriving from coastal districts hit by Cyclone Tauktae over the last three days.

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The prices of promfret, prawns, and kingfish have all doubled.

Before the cyclone hit the state, the price was for one kg of pomfret at the fish markets in Nana peth and Camp (Shivaji market) were between ₹700 and ₹800 per kg. Now the cost of a kg of pomfret is ₹1,800.

Similarly, one kg of prawns was selling at Rs600 per kg. It is now selling at Rs1,200 per kg.

Tausif Shaikh, fish vendor at the Camp market, said, “There is a shortage of supply from the coastal areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat, so prices have gone up.”

Sandeep Pardeshi , a fish vendor from Nana peth said, “There is short supply of fish hence the high prices. Now customers are demanding river fish varieties. Fisheries along the west coast have all almost completely shut. We hope fisheries on the East coast, from Howrah, West Bengal, will ease the supply situation. Demand for fish is high in the city,” he said.

Alex Sebastian, a fish lover, said, “Fish is out of reach of the middle class . Instead of buying pomfret, I prefer to buy cheaper varieties. I hope the prices come as the cyclone has passed.“