With the weather improving and more vessels heading out to sea, the price of yellowfin tuna has started to drop at the Male' Fish Market.
Before the start of the southwest monsoon, a kilo of yellowfin tuna was generally sold at a rate of MVR 40 at the Male' Fish Market. However, early this month, due to the strong southwest monsoon and bad weather, some vessels did not go out fishing and fishing was poor, which led to a decrease in the supply of yellowfin tuna to the Male' Fish Market and prices began to rise. On some days, yellowfin tuna was completely unavailable.
Due to the difficulty in obtaining yellowfin tuna, prices rose day by day, and last Thursday a kilo of yellowfin tuna was being sold for MVR 70-80. However, with the weather clearing up and many vessels starting to go out fishing, the price of yellowfin tuna is dropping. Compared to last week, there is slightly more yellowfin tuna available in the market today. Yellowfin tuna is being sold at a rate of MVR 50-65 per kilo.
Those selling yellowfin tuna at the fish market say their hope is that fishing will improve quickly and yellowfin tuna will become abundant in the market. They said that prices could then be lowered to the previous rate. The largest buyers of yellowfin tuna from the Male' Fish Market are those who supply fish to resorts. They said that they have been facing supply difficulties because they are not getting enough yellowfin tuna.
Skipjack tuna is the most abundant at the Male' Fish Market today. Skipjack tuna was available for sale at a rate of MVR 30-35 per kilo. Sprats and mackerel are also available to some extent today. A pair of sprats is being sold at a rate of MVR 10-20. A mackerel is available for sale for MVR 10.
