Fishy affair: sale triples in winter

Quality control mechanism beginning from catch to processed sale is needed to ensure value for money

LAHORE: The demand for fish has tripled as cold intensified across the country. Two refrigerated freight wagons deliver a variety of marine fish from Karachi with every train that reaches Lahore. The consignments are then segregated, put on crushed ice and brought for sale at the age-old Lohari fish market.

It is estimated that the metropolitan city of Lahore is earning over Rs1.5 billion through raw and cooked fish business, while fish sales are projected to cap around 73,000 tonnes per month during December and January.

Sawal, Shinghari, Trout, Rahu and Chira fish hold a higher value in the market owing to their extraordinary demand. However, Shinghari fish aces the price list with a whopping rate of Rs1,300 per kilogramme. Rahu is the second priciest fish, available from Rs300 to Rs500 per kilogramme in accordance with its quality.

Seafood imported from Thailand and other countries is also very popular. These imported fish and shrimp are quite expensive; priced around Rs500 to Rs2,000 per kilogramme, these are sold at the top-notch restaurants and five star hotels.

Fish in high demand as winter approaches

However, generally, the residents of the walled city prefer riverine fish over its marine cousin. The immense demand has caused an increase in the price of the celebrated catch as well.



Interestingly, those who reside in the old city value fish heads more than the entire fish. It is considered a timeless delicacy. The price of fish heads also reflect this immense demand; the heads may fetch up to Rs1,200 per kilogramme in the local market.

Moreover, fish offal including tails, intestines and fat is also sellable. It is bought by cosmetic, soap, shampoo and medicine manufacturers.

Lahore has a high demand for fried fish too. Most of the people prefer choosing the time-tested famous eateries known for their decades old savoury fish recipes. These fish sellers easily rack a monthly net profit of Rs300,000.

There are three renowned old restaurants in Lahore that sell fried fish only during winters. An old shop based in Garhi Shaho Allama Iqbal road is famous for its mouth-watering fried fish. People flock to buy the delicacy starting from one in the afternoon to half past two in the morning.

The second fish restaurant, prominent for its fish fried in chickpea flour batter, is located in Abid market. This place is also crowded by diners as well as those who prefer take-away, often causing traffic congestion in and around the shop.

PFA seals three fish points

The third eatery is the oldest and the most well-known amongst all fried fish selling outlets. It is situated in the famous food street in Gawal Mandi. The area sells “Bam” fish in large quantities. Though the owner of this shop has opened more outlets in different areas of the city, most of the people prefer to buy from his old shop.

The variety and exuberance of the fish market demands a proper quality control mechanism across the province, particularly the provincial capital, beginning from catch to processed sale to ensure value for money and health.

Persistent increase in population and demand of fish could exhaust the limited resource sooner than expected if sustainable solutions are not adopted to live up to the market expectation.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 26^th, 2019.