SAMARAHAN: As the sun rises over the sleepy village market of Pasar Pendam, 54-year-old Ramlee Saee is already hard at work.
He is surrounded by crates of freshly caught fish, silver flashes of terubok and popot gleaming under the morning light.
Business is brisk, not just because of the freshness of the catch, but also because prices have plummeted.
According to Ramlee, who has been in the fish trade for decades, this season has brought an unusually large harvest of fish, leading to a significant drop in market prices.
“The price of fish is never fixed. It depends on the season,” he explained.
“Right now, the popot season is in full swing. There are so many fish coming in, we have no choice but to sell them at a much lower price or even auction them off.”
On regular days, premium Grade A terubok fish is sold at RM30 per piece.
When the catch is excessive, prices for the same grade can go down to RM26 or even lower.
Mid-grade terubok (Grade B), which normally sells for RM26, is currently being offered at RM20.
Grade C fish are now priced at RM13-RM15, a sharp drop from the usual RM16-RM20.
The most dramatic change is seen with the smaller-sized fish.
He further explained about the changes in prices for smaller fishes.
“Sometimes, when the fish are too small and there’s just too many of them, we’ll just sell them at RM2 each.
“We don’t even weigh them precisely. We just simply estimate them. For example, let’s say 5 fish equal 1kg, then it’s RM2 each,” he added.
The sheer volume of the fish harvest has forced sellers like Ramlee to simplify their sales methods.
While he usually grades the fish into categories A through E, during high-supply periods, he often skips the grading process altogether.
“When there’s too much fish, there’s no time to grade. We just mix them and sell them all at once,” he said.
Most of the fish sold at Ramlee’s shop are sourced from nearby villages such as Sungai Ladong, Kampung Tebelu and Kampung Sebangan.
The majority of the fishermen hail from Kampung Sungai Ladong.
“These fishermen go out every day, and during these months from March until around August the sea and rivers yield a lot more.
“It’s nature’s pattern, and we have to adjust our business around it,” Ramlee lamented.
Ramlee’s fish stall operates on a highly adaptive schedule. On days with smaller catches, the shop may remain closed.
On average, the shop opens from 7:30 am and closes by 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm.
However, on days when fish is plentiful, the stall stays open as late as 9:00 pm to accommodate the influx of supply and customers.
“Today, we opened at 7:00 am and the shop didn’t close till 9:00 pm. There’s just so much fish,” Ramlee said.
Ramlee talked about how situation presents both opportunities and challenges.
On one hand, lower prices attract more customers. On the other, the risk of unsold fish increases significantly.
“If we try to sell at normal prices during times like this, the fish won’t sell. There’s too much supply.
“So we auction or sell them cheap so we can get our capital back,” he added.
Despite the difficulties, he views this as part of the natural ebb and flow of his trade.
“It’s not always like this. Some months, the catch is smaller and we can sell at better prices so it all balances out,” he said.
Fish trading at Pasar Pendam is more than just business, it is a tradition.
Ramlee has seen generations of fishermen and traders come and go, and he takes pride in maintaining a connection with local fishing communities.
“We’ve always relied on the rivers and the sea. The fish you see here are not just food, they’re part of our way of life,” he continued.
As the market grows busier and customers begin to crowd around his stall, Ramlee returns to his work, calling out prices, weighing fish by hand, and occasionally offering a free sample to loyal customers.
It is a routine he has perfected over the years, adapting to each season’s rhythm with quiet resilience.
With months of high yield still expected, sellers like Ramlee are bracing for more long days and unpredictable sales patterns.
But if there is one thing he is certain of, it is that adaptability remains the key to survival in the fish trade.
“You can’t fight nature. You just follow it,” he said with a smile.
