KUCHING: As the rainy season persists here, businesses across the city are feeling the strain: traffic slows to a crawl, homes face flood damage, and for fishmongers, sales have taken a nosedive.
At Stutong Community Market, Chong, a seasoned fishmonger, laments the drop in business due to unpredictable weather and dwindling fish supply. “With the rain and the lack of fish, there aren’t many stalls open. Look around—there are only a few stalls. There were more, but since there’s no fish and the market is bad, people don’t open their stalls,” she said. However, the challenges go beyond just the weather.
Chong believes the struggling economy is also what caused the slow business. “When the economy isn’t doing well, people have less money. If your salary is low, you won’t buy expensive seafood daily. “Instead, people just buy what they need to get by,” she said. Tough times across the markets Over at 3rd Mile Wet Market, another fishmonger, Sim, shares a similar sentiment. “It’s just average. It’s been worse lately because of the rainy weather which affects sales since fewer people come,” he said. He said that a probable improvement will take place in March or April when more fresh fish are readily available. “It will probably take until March or April for things to improve.
That’s when there are more fish, and we’ll have better options,” he said. At the Pasar Komuniti (PAKAR) Medan Niaga Satok, fishmonger Salleh Mostapa describes his business as ‘50-50’ but acknowledges that rising costs are making it harder for lower-income customers. “Right now, business is 50-50. It’s balanced. This is because the cost of goods has gone up. Everything is more expensive now, especially for the B40 income group. It’s tough,” he said.
Fishermen stuck on shore, supplies vary
As rain continues to pour, fish remains scarce—many fishermen or seafarers are forced to stay on shore, fearing rough seas and dangerous tides. “The fishermen are hesitant to go out to sea in this weather. They’re afraid, so they’re not going out, which means there’s Fishmongers struggle amidst weather challenges less fish available,” Chong said. Most fish being caught are smaller fish, nothing significant. “We only get small amounts from different sources. Some come from villages where people catch mostly small fish in small quantities and sell them since the villages don’t have large-scale fishing operations,” she said.
To cope with the shortage, Sim has shifted focus to frozen fish, which now makes up 80 per cent of his stock. “About 80 per cent of our stock is frozen fish so there are fewer options for people to choose from,” he said. Meanwhile, Salleh has turned to selling imported fish, as import supplies remain stable. “We sell imported fish since imports are okay whereas the local supply is limited due to bad weather,” he said.
Prices set to drop soon
When asked about price hikes, each shared that a drop would be seen soon. “During this Chinese New Year, prices have either stayed the same or increased because no matter the price, people would buy what they need.
However, prices will drop since supply will increase, but it does depend on the supply and demand of the fish,” Chong said. According to Salleh, a drop of about 30 per cent will be seen when fish are more readily available.
“Prices have increased about 20 per cent now, but everyone can expect about a 30 per cent drop when fish are more readily available probably after the Chap Goh Meh,” he said.
Calls for government support
With unpredictable seasons making business increasingly challenging, fishmongers hope for government intervention. “If they issued large subsidy cards to support us, that would be good. But, it is hard to say that a business is a personal preference. “I’ve been in this business for about 40 years now, this business is something you have to keep doing, no matter how the market is.
When I grow old, I’ll pass it on to my children, and they’ll continue,” she said. On the other hand, Sim hopes for improvements in market infrastructure, particularly the slippery flooring that poses a daily hazard. “If the government could help us improve basic infrastructure, that would be enough. “Right now, the main issue is the flooring—it’s too slippery, and there are water leaks.
They’ve already done some repairs, but fixing the flooring would help us a lot because it gets slippery and makes work difficult,” he said. As Sarawak’s economy continues to stand unwavering and be a leader for other states within Malaysia, Salleh proposed larger business loans could provide much-needed financial relief.
“Right now, I’d say the economy in Sarawak is about 60 per cent stable, it’s been great. “The government is already providing some support, with granting loans, but it would be good if higher amounts of loans or credits can be given to help businesses like ours,” he said. As the rain continues to pour and fish stocks remain scarce, Kuching’s fishmongers persist, adapting to the challenges and hoping that better days and bigger catches lie ahead.
