Sea food items at CWE outlets

By Mohammed NAALIR

The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry is now selling sea food items to consumers through Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) branches throughout the country, Ministry sources said.

According to a top ranking officer, the Ministry hopes to create a competitive environment which would result in minimising the monopoly of the private sector fish sellers. Consumers could purchase fish at a fair price.

Due to lack of financial resources the Fisheries Corporation purchased a small quantity of fish in the past.

The Corporation has now taken steps to purchase a large quantity of fish from fishermen and sell them to consumers at a fair price through Corporation shops and the SATHOSA.

The Corporation has increased fish purchase from 5 per cent to 10 percent from June 1.

A Kilogram of Kelawalla is sold at Rs. 700 by private sector fish sellers while it is sold at Rs. 460 at Sathosa out lets.

Ministry sources expressed confidence that within the next three months fish prices would drop considerably.