Arctic weather cools fish price rise – Fishupdate.com

Arctic weather cools fish price rise Published:  12 January, 2010

THE high fish prices seen in the UK last week are showing signs of easing, partly due to the near Arctic conditions which have hit the entire country.

With snow affecting transport almost everywhere both the restaurant and retail trade have been badly hit with people putting off going out unless it is necessary.

This has led to a fall off in demand for fish in many parts of the country, but prices have also been affected by slightly improved landings.

At Grimsby yesterday both cod and haddock was selling at around 20 per cent lower than this time last week although trade has remained fairly brisk. Merchants say there are no real supply issues at the moment although a sudden spell of bad weather at sea could change that. Large cod was fetching around £2.60 a kilo and large haddock up to £2.80 a kilo.

Leading UK fish supplier M&J Seafoods said there was good availibility of large cod and codlings with prices falling back. There was also better availability of Icelandic container haddock which should also make it cheaper.

The company also says that Norway farmed turbot and halibut will be availibility for most of the week in sizes up to nine kilograms . With the Pacific fishery closed at present the only wild halibut supplies would be from the Atlantic and prices would be high.

Supplies of large Scottish farmed salmon were on the scarce side at present but there were no problems with farmed salmon from Norway. M&J said supplies of sea bass and bream from Greece and Turkey were also good, as were shipments of tuna and swordfish from the Indian Ocean and South America.