Holy Moly Fish Prices on Holy Week
It’s no secret that the cost of living has increased over the years – the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as soaring fuel prices, have triggered a price hike on almost all commodities. Fish and other seafood products are no different, but during Easter time, the cost for your favourite fish goes up even higher, especially since there is no controlled price placed on this industry. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
It’s a yearly practice that has become tradition – residents flock to fish stalls across the city for last-minute shopping. They’re trying to get the best price for the fish they would use in their dishes for the Easter holidays. But the price of fish in some instances is retailing at up to fifteen dollars a pound. Charles Rogers is based on Marine Parade near Golden Bay; he has a wide variety of fish, but says that his prices had to go up because of the cost of fuel.
Charles Rogers
Charles Rogers, Fisherman
“The price ah gas, everything di go up; the hook and everything. When yo used to spend wah two three hundred dollars to go and do a three four days, now it di cost yo like wah five hundred. So gas dah the main thing weh di hurt the fisherman.”
Duane Moody
“What all yo have for sale?”
Charles Rogers
“Snapper, rock fish. The snapper dah yellow tail and silk snapper mixed up.”
Duane Moody
“People are looking for the best price. What’s the best price right now for fish?”
Charles Rogers
“Right now twelve dollars. If yo want pick out the biggest one dehn, then yow ah pa a dollar more. Other than that, mix up dah twelve.”
Over at Conch Shell Bay Fish Market, fifty-nine-year-old fisherman Ernest Goff says that he’s been in the business from the age of fourteen, scraping fish and now selling. Goff has a limited variety and fish that are smaller in size, so he is selling them at eight dollars a pound, three dollars more than what it would usually be sold.
Ernest Goff
Ernest Goff, Fisherman, Conch Shell Bay Fish Market
“We have snappers, we have barrow, we have cut jack. Everything fi sell; barrow for eight dollars a pound; snapper eight dollars.”
Duane Moody
“The cost gone up.”
Ernest Goff
“Yes, the cost gone up. These are little ones so we put it for eight. These are little ones so we put it for eight. These size I normally sell for five, but I sell it for eight now cause the cost gone up.”
Duane Moody
“Talk to us about that. Why the price had to go up?”
Ernest Goff
“Well the price had to go up cause dah Easter and only one time a year for the Easter and these price goes up.”
Further down East Collet Canal, across from the Michael Finnegan Market, Kim Audinett and her team say that they will be out even on the morning of Good Friday selling fish. Their prices have not been altered.
Kim Audinett
Kim Audinett, Fish Vendor
“We have conchs, we have fish, slice fish at ten dollars a pound. Someone else slices it, but we sell it here too. Snappers, stone bass; the snappers go from three a pound to eight a pound. We don’t raise unless they raise the price on us. And so if you want fish, you can come here. It is the cheapest stall actually. I don’t think it makes sense or necessary for you to be selling people you sell all year round and then you raise price for Easter or the nineteenth. It doesn’t make sense. It is the same customer that you have all year round. So we just try to maintain the standard of price because all of us, the price and it is what it is, but the price is ridiculous. Gas is high yes we understand that and you take risk to go to sea and go that far, but if you can be reasonable with the people, everybody have to eat.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
