Prices of sardines escalate

Dar es Salaam. Prices of sardines have risen as supplies have dwindled.

Ferry Fish Market official Ahmed Mbaluku told The Citizen that a container of sardines that used to cost Sh35,000 five days ago is now sold at Sh60,000.

“Between 10 and 15 tonnes of sardines are consumed a day in Dar es Salaam, but since supplies have plunged to between three and five tonnes a day prices have risen by more than 60 per cent.”

According to him, the shortage is due to fear by some fishermen that since some of them have not renewed their licences, they may be arrested and fined.

“It is not a boycott as it is rumoured. The truth is that fishermen are fearful because many of them have not renewed their licences,” he said.

He said such fishermen had not renewed their licences because they did not have gear recommended by authorities for fishing sardines.

“We need fishnets with 10 millimetres of mesh size for sardines, but most fishermen use those with four, six and eight millimetres.”

Thirteen days ago, authorities arrested 91 fishermen and seized their seven vessels for lack of licences, but later, they were set free and given until January 31 to renew their licences.

“So far, about 800 out of 7,000 fishermen have secured their licences in our station. I do not have data for other stations like Bagamoyo, Kilwa, Unguja and Kigamboni,” he said.

The Ferry Fish Market’s secretary the committee of fishing stakeholders, Mr Baraka Kilima, said: ‘The fear is due to harsh treatment and unreasonable penalties at the hands of security personnel.

“Fishermen shun going to the Indian ocean due to harsh treatment and fines. Once the officers meet fishermen with no proper fishing gear, they beat them up and charge them high fines.