Small catches, low fish sales this Easter

Just as bun and cheese are synonymous with Easter, fish also remains a staple on the holiday table.

Each year, many Jamaicans flock to seaside communities, fishing villages, and freshwater markets in search of the Easter catch. This year, while complaints about slow sales are nothing new, vendors say this season tells a slightly different story, customers are coming, but catches pose the problem.

At the Forum Fishing Village in Portmore, St Catherine, vendor Parri, who spoke to THE STAR at the start of Lent, said that sales typically rise during that period and peak around Easter. But this year is different, as fishers are finding empty nets at sea.

"A nuh say it nah pick up, enuh, but the fish nah come in, this a one a the worst Easter because all them time ya people would catch fish and a go home," he said. Parri, who has been watching the tides since he was a boy, placed some of the blame on Hurricane Melissa.

"A lot of places in the sea get affected by Melissa because when the man them go the usual place to catch fish none nuh in deh so it very hard on the fishermen across the country," he explained. He said that the disruption has significantly affected sales.

"It's a very hard task. Monday and Tuesday usually those days leading up would be tremendous but now it's just this," he said, glancing around the fishing village.

Along nearby Fort Augusta Drive, where fish vendors line the street, the atmosphere was unusually quiet for this time of year. Another vendor, who gave her name as Taiest, said she still has a steady flow of regular customers but has also noticed changes in the quantity of fish available since Hurricane Melissa.

"We not getting the size that people want, them usually want quarter, half to a pound, but for this Easter, the fishes are much bigger," she said. "I just tell them they are big and see if we can compromise."

She has also taken extra steps to make things easier, offering to slice fish for customers. She added that she does not increase the price or sell the slices separately.

"Cost of living high for everyone, everybody feeling it, but to save you and the customer, I don't adjust the price. Some will still buy it whole."

A customer who gave her name as Kerry, said that she buys fish year-round but believes Jamaicans still view fish as a seasonal staple.

"They still do love it, it's tradition. Right now I am purchasing fish for my boss and he only purchases fish this time of the year, so it increases more during this time," she said. She added that while she has had no issues getting fish from Taiest over the past five years, she knows others who are struggling.

"My mom buys from a different vendor and they are telling her that the fishermen aren't getting much from sea or they are not going to the sea."

On the other hand, freshwater fish farmers at the Twickenham Park fish market in Spanish Town are facing similar challenges, as fish supplies continue to decline.

Fish vendor Robert Hayden, who has been in the industry for over two decades, explained that farmers don't have any fish to restock their ponds. He said that last year's issues were linked to extreme heat and Hurricane Melissa. Beyond the slow recovery, he said the usual Easter rush has not materialised.

"It's like about 30 to 40 pounds a day. Years ago when me full my pond with a good 700 pounds, oh gosh man, two days that done," he said. "This is the heart of it and mi deh ya from mi a boy and mi a 55 now. Today mi just have 100 pounds and I only sold 28 pounds."

He acknowledged that prices have been moving up for the past five months - from about $500 to the current $750.

Another vendor, who gave her name as Erica, agreed that higher prices are discouraging customers.

"Worst Easter this. I think the price too high but the fish hard to get ... but this time a the worst."