KUWAIT CITY, July 29: There has been an enormous hike in the prices of all kinds of fish- particularly the local breed, in spite of the low demand for fish in the holy month of Ramadan, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.
The Comptroller General of Kuwait’s main Fish Market located in Sharq Salem Salmi Al-Failakawi was quoted as saying the price of fish has witnessed an incredible hike in the last few days, and added a kilo of Zubeidi is sold for KD 10 while the price of imported fish has also increased.

He implored the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) to allow fishing near the Kuwaiti waters, citing Boubyan Island where the fish is said to be multiplying steadily.

He is of the view that preventing people from fishing at this particular period would worsen the scarcity, and “whenever the fish are multiplying, they would swim to neighboring waters and be caught by other fishermen fishing freely in the territorial waters”.

Al-Failakawi noted the scarcity of fish is caused by the Kuwaitis reluctance to buying or eating fish, and warned that fish prices might continue to go up to an alarming level after Ramadan if adequate measures are not taken to curb the situation.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Commerce and Industry has been receiving several complaints from consumers regarding the Livestock Transport and Trading Company’s (LTTC) slackness and lack of commitment to the agreement it signed with the ministry to reorganize the livestock market and the prices of meat, reports Al-Rai daily.

The company had recently signed an agreement with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to subsidize livestock to keep the price of sheep at KD 16.835, while a kilo of boneless meat should be sold for KD 1.500 and meat with bones KD 1.250.

The daily quoting sources said LTTC is not committed to the stipulated prices of meat and sheep delivered to customers in their homes are priced KD 45, even though the company had initially agreed on selling the sheep for KD 28-30. This indicates the company charges 50 percent extra for home delivery service, the sources noted.

Meanwhile, the ministry’s supervisory and follow-up committee confirmed unreliability in the activities of some livestock vendors, even as the pact stipulates the owners of butcheries, shops and companies selling livestock should keep their establishments open from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm during the week.

Sources reiterated the ministry will not ignore any violation and manipulation of meat prices, and that penal code will be activated based on the agreement it has signed with the livestock company.