Fish sales flounder even as Good Friday nears

Fish vendors hoping for a bountiful Easter season after two years of flagging sales as a result of the pandemic are keeping their eyes peeled, hoping for a miracle as the traditionally buoyant period is yet to spring to life.

Easter is traditionally a time when they sell high volumes as Christians observe their most important celebrations. Fish is customarily the meal of choice, especially on Good Friday, as they abstain from meat to acknowledge and do penance for the death of Jesus in a tradition that dates back centuries.

Whereas traditionally, fish markets would have been teeming with shoppers at this time of the year, up to yesterday, some vendors lamented that they were yet to see the anticipated flood of customers, fearing another disappointing year.

Keisha Russell-Brown recalls buying up to 5,000 pounds of fish to resell daily in past seasons, but this year, she has drastically reduced her stock to a meagre 300 pounds due to the high prices and, at times, limited supplies as the fishermen occasionally return empty-handed.

“I don’t see the increase in sales, honestly,” she told The Gleaner yesterday as few potential customers milled around at the New Forum Fishing Village in Portmore, St Catherine.

“Usually when Easter coming up, at this time of the year, me normally would a see more people coming to buy fish. I don’t know if them waiting until tomorrow (Holy Thursday), but for today, I cannot say that I’ve seen an increase in sales,” she added.

Russell-Brown, who has been in the business for almost 20 years, said that in former years, the fishing village would usually be buzzing with activity from as early as Monday.

She believes the current retail price of between $1,100 and $1,500 per pound could be prohibitive for some customers.

“The price is ridiculously high. Even though mi a di one weh a sell it, mi can tell you say it’s ridiculously high,” Russell-Brown said, adding that she was anticipating a low profit margin during this Easter season.

“Right now, mi just glad say mi get some fish,” she said, explaining that the fishermen have been struggling to net sizeable catches since January.

Adverse weather has also been preventing them from venturing out at times, she said.

“A di worse mi ever see it for all of mi life weh mi a do fishing,” added the vendor, noting that if it had not been for the larger shipping vessels coming ashore as opposed to the traditional canoes, she might not have been able to get a single pound to purchase.

Maxine Brown-Dorma also bemoaned the “trickle” in customers.

“We still a look for brighter days tomorrow and the day after,” she, however, said, optimistically.High

High gas prices

In addition to the reasons given by her colleague, Brown-Dorma said that the price of gasolene was also causing the fishermen to venture to sea less often than they normally would.

“It makes it virtually impossible for fisherman to come and sell cheap fish so vendor can get a good price so we can sell fi make a quick sale,” she told The Gleaner.

“We nuh have the money fi buy enough because it more expensive,” she lamented, disclosing that she was only able to purchase 500 pounds of fish as opposed to her customary 3,000 pounds.

She, however, expressed gratitude for the little that she has been able to still earn as she anticipates greater sales on Holy Thursday and even on the morning of Good Friday.

asha.wilks@gleanerjm.com