Fish sales record gradual recovery after a slide triggered by fears of contamination due to shipwreck
Fish sales seem to be gradually picking up in the State after being hit hard by the concerns triggered by the sinking of the cargo vessel MSC Elsa 3 off the Kochi coast on May 25, according to stakeholders in the fisheries sector.
The fears among the consumers on whether it was safe to eat the fish had emerged as the sunken ship was carrying 13 containers of hazardous cargo and 12 containers having calcium carbide. The retail sales had plummeted after the incident amidst fears that the pollutants might impact the fish wealth in the Kerala coast. Currently, the government has banned fishing within 20-nautical mile radius of the shipwreck.
P. Sahadevan, Managing Director of Kerala State Cooperative Federation for Fisheries Development (Matsyafed), said that sales through the agency's retail stores were hit after the shipwreck. 'It had dipped by around 25% compared to the normal times initially. The sale of fish to institutions in larger quantities through our network was hit considerably. However, the situation has improved as sales are picking up gradually now,' he said.
Joseph Xavier Kalapurackal, general convenor of the All Kerala Fishing Boat Operators' Association, said that prices have recovered after an initial fall following the incident. 'Mackerels are now selling at ₹200 a kg while medium-sized sardines cost ₹150 a kg in the retail market. In the initial days after the shipwreck, prices of a kg of mackerels and sardines had gone down below ₹100,' he said.
Charles George, president of the Kerala Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi, a union of independent traditional fishermen, said that they have cancelled a 'fish fest' planned at the Kalamukku fishing harbour in Vypeen on June 7, 2025 based on the inference that the confidence has returned among the consumers that it was safe to eat fish. 'The fishermen had reported good catch and sales over the last two days,' he said. The fest was planned to instil confidence among the public that it was safe to consume fish.
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