Fish sale ahead of Eid drops in Lahore

The pre-Eid daily fish sale has dropped by one ton (1,000 KG) and fish rates have decreased up to Rs 30 per Kg in the provincial capital. According to Business Recorder's survey, daily fish sale has dropped up to 1000 Kg in the fish market because the retail traders and vendors have returned to their native towns to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha festival with their family members.
Besides the people are clearing their fridges / deep freezers to store mutton / beef of the sacrificial animals next week that would be sufficient for them for a month.
According to the survey of the city fish market the rates of different varieties of fish were as under: Rahu Rs 200 per Kg, Sanghari Rs 300 per Kg, Khaga Rs 300 per Kg, Thala Rs 200 per kg, Mali Rs 220 per Kg, Sohl Rs 400 per Kg, Bam Rs 160 per Kg, Chira Rs 100 per Kg, Silver Rs 130 per Kg, Mori Rs 170 per Kg and Saiman rate was Rs 250 per Kg.
Sardar Azhar Hussain General Secretary Traders Association Fish Market said that most of the fish vendors in city come from areas outside the provincial metropolis and they have left the city for celebrating the Eid.
He said every year before Eid-ul-Azha fish sale drop slightly and people do not cook fish in their homes. Last week Rahu was selling Rs 230 per Kg but now it was being sold at Rs 200 per Kg. He said fish farms supply about 50 percent while the other 50 percent come from rivers and the sea. He elaborated that Mali, Sohl, Sanghari and Khaga fish were river species and Rahu, Mori, Thala and Silver were farm species. President Traders Association Fish Market Yasin Butt said that river and farm species of fish have same taste but there was little difference in colour of both species.
To a query he said fish market traders were meeting the sewerage, street lighting and security expenses on self help basis as the government was not taking proper steps to resolve the market problems although all of our markets were paying taxes to the government. He said fish market was established in 1935 at Circular Road and fish traders were facing serious problems due to shortage of space. He suggested that the government should establish fish markets outside the city near Saggian Bridge. He said city government should also resolve the street light, sewerage and security problems.