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Ieyasu Tokugawa
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Singapore
Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story
Jan 7, 2010
Dearer fish at CNY
Shortage of tiger garoupa as demand rises in Year of the Tiger and plankton hits farms
<!-- by line --> By Jessica Lim
THOSE who want a taste of the tiger garoupa this Chinese New Year are likely to be hit by a double whammy: The fish, usually already more expensive during this period, is set to be priced even higher. The striped fish is a mainstay on reunion dinner menus due to its quality and relatively low price compared to other types of garoupa, say importers and distributors. The surge in demand during Chinese New Year typically pushes prices up by about 15 per cent at restaurants - from $58 to almost $70 per kilogram, at an averagely priced restaurant. However, two other factors are likely to push prices up even higher this year. First, restaurants have lost a key supplier. A plankton bloom hit fish farms off Pasir Ris and Pulau Ubin two weeks ago, depriving the fish of oxygen. About 20 floating farms reported a combined loss of 300,000 fish, more than half of which are tiger garoupa.
Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.
[email protected]
Additional reporting by Linus Lin and Carolyn Quek
Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story
Jan 7, 2010
Dearer fish at CNY
Shortage of tiger garoupa as demand rises in Year of the Tiger and plankton hits farms
<!-- by line --> By Jessica Lim
THOSE who want a taste of the tiger garoupa this Chinese New Year are likely to be hit by a double whammy: The fish, usually already more expensive during this period, is set to be priced even higher. The striped fish is a mainstay on reunion dinner menus due to its quality and relatively low price compared to other types of garoupa, say importers and distributors. The surge in demand during Chinese New Year typically pushes prices up by about 15 per cent at restaurants - from $58 to almost $70 per kilogram, at an averagely priced restaurant. However, two other factors are likely to push prices up even higher this year. First, restaurants have lost a key supplier. A plankton bloom hit fish farms off Pasir Ris and Pulau Ubin two weeks ago, depriving the fish of oxygen. About 20 floating farms reported a combined loss of 300,000 fish, more than half of which are tiger garoupa.
Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.
[email protected]
Additional reporting by Linus Lin and Carolyn Quek
