KUPANG, Kompas – Fish price in Kupang City and its surrounding sharply increases in the last decade. Vessel crews and some local fishermen choose to have holidays for Christmas and New Year so fish stock in East Nusa Tenggara capital market decreases. Vessel owners and fish employers who do not celebrate Christmas choose to park their vessels at coast.
Fresh fish price hike varies. One kilogram tuna, for example, increases from IDR 20,000 to IDR 30,000; mackerel increases from IDR 10,000 to IDR 20,000; snapper increases from IDR 30,000 to IDR 40,000; grouper increases from IDR 40,000 to IDR 50,000; and bada fish increases from IDR 10,000 to IDR 20,000.
Tonce Ola (38), a fisherman standing by in Tenau Fishery Auction Location (TPI), 20-kilometer to the east of Kupang City, on Tuesday (12/30) said consumers come to Tenau TPI to seek fresh fish weighing 2-5 kilograms but they cannot find it. Almost all of fishermen and vessel crews are having holidays. They do not go sailing.
“If all vessel crews and fishermen have holidays, they also park their vessels at coast,’ Ola said.
The East Flores resident said consumers usually seek fishes weighing 2-5 kilograms to be grilled in New Year’s Eve. While grilling fishes, they will be waiting for the seconds to New Year.
Not only captured fishes weighing 2-5 kilograms are rare, small fishes usually captured with net are also hard to be found. Small and medium-sized fishes are usually captured by traditional vessels having no engines. The traditional fishermen only rely on wind and their own power to paddle the vessels. However, the fisherman groups are having holidays.
Sharing Abdul (48), the owner of two fishing vessels having 30-GT and 40-GT capacities, said most of vessel owners and fishery employers in Kupang are from Sulawesi. Some of them choose to have New Year holiday in their hometowns and to park their vessels at coast.
Good Weather
In the last five days, Sharing said, they park their vessels at coast to replace several vessel engine parts lightly damaged. “Currently, six vessel crews, who do not celebrate Christmas, are capturing fishes in southern waters of Rote Island using two vessels,” Sharing said.
The current sea weather is fairly good and safe but fishermen find it hard to capture the expected fishes so they are still staying there.
Mrs. Ratna (32), a housewife, said her children are bored to consume meats. They want to consume fishes but it is really hard to find fresh fishes at markets except dried fishes. If there are raw fishes sold at market, they look unfresh. (Kompas)
