Kep: As the coastal areas of Cambodia are affected by the latest storm, many fishermen are not going out to see, reduced fishing yields.
Both fishermen and traders say that on the upcoming Water Festival, Kep may not have enough seafood to supply to tourists visiting the province.
Kep Kha, a fisherman in Kep province, said that due to the rain and storms he and the other fishermen have been unable to get out on their boats. “Now (this morning, October 28) there are also big waves, we are on the island can not leave, I can not go fishing and the water is flooding my house. It is very difficult to get out of the boat,” He said.
He said that for the upcoming Water Festival, fishermen can not raise their prices on their own, depending on the broker.
One kilogram of good crabs, fishermen sell for only 20,000 riel, but traders can sell them for 50,000 riel. He said: “Every festival, the fishermen ask for a price increase from the traders… (it) is very difficult, they do not want to go up, but if it goes up (only) to a lesser extent.”
Separately, Ms. Try Chenda, a trader at Kep Crab Market, said that many fishermen did not go out to sea to increase the yield of crabs and there is not much seafood to supply to the guests who will visit Kep. On the other hand, the prices of crabs and other seafood during the festival always go up. She blamed the increase on fishermen, not traders.
She said that the problem of rising prices is inevitable because this year there are storms and rain, very few fishermen dare to go out fishing and the yield is less than usual, so fishermen will ask for a price increase, so traders have to raise the price. KOHSANTEPHEAP
