Rising temperatures send fish prices soaring

Fish prices soared to one of their highest levels in Abu Dhabi this week and are expected to remain at that level this month as soaring summer temperatures are keeping fishermen away from the sea, dealers said Sunday.

Fish catch plunged by nearly half in July and the first days of August, allowing fishermen who still go to the sea to control prices despite warnings by the Abu Dhabi Municipality and other departments, they said.

Hamour fish prices shot above Dh50 per kg this week from around Dh40 in June, an increase of nearly 25 per cent. The prices of all other fish also increased.

“Prices of fish usually increase in summer because many fishermen do not go fishing due to the heat…others leave the country on their annual leaves…this creates a sharp shortage,” said Kutty Abdul Rahman, an Indian fish seller at the Abu Dhabi fish market near Port Zayed in the eastern edge of the capital.

The fish market is located just close to the fish harbour, where nearly 500 boats set off every week to feed the emirate’s more than one million people.

Abu Dhabi’s fish production is estimated at around 30,000 tonnes per year, just below a third of the UAE’s total fish output of more than 100,000 tonnes.

Fish prices in the capital and other UAE cities sharply fluctuate through the year, depending on supply. But they normally peak during July and August.