Record increase in sale of fish due to low prices in Karachi

KARACHI: The sale of fish witnessed a record increase during current winter as compared to past couple of years in the local markets of the Sukkur, Khairpur, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Ghotki and other districts of the northern Sindh.

The demand for fish in the region has increased due to the decrease in temperature during the last two weeks. The sale of different kinds of fish including Dambra, Rohu, Mahasher, Thela fish, Salmon, Silver and common Carp has increased as people throng to fish sale points all over the districts.

"Fish sale remained five times high this winter as compared to a couple of years ago, mainly due to its affordable prices", President Fish market Sukkur Qurban Ali Mirani said on Tuesday.

Commenting on low prices, he said that a number of fish sellers directly purchased fish from farms of Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Kandhkot and Sukkur districts instead of the wholesale market, passing on the price benefit to the consumers.

Khalid Hussain, owner of a fish shop at Sukkur fish market, who is in this business for the last 16 years, informed that his business was at its peak this winter.

"I earned three to four times higher this winter as people preferred to eat fish due to its affordable prices this winter", he said.

Another fish stall-holder at Barrage road Sukkur said that retail price of different kinds of fish like Dambra remained between Rs.400-600, per kilogram.

Student restaurant owner, Muhammad Tahir informed that the sale of fried fish has doubled this winter.

According to a medical expert Dr. Shehla Wali, fish is useful in preventing cardiac problems and paralysis among elderly people.

He said that fish is also useful for blood pressure patients as proteins and carbohydrates are abundantly found in it.