Daily fish auctions in Ajman continue to draw big crowds despite restrictions on travel introduced to stem the spread of Covid-19.
At four o’clock every afternoon, buyers gather as auctioneers raise their megaphones and the selling begins.
As the bidding picks up, porters shuttle wheelbarrows between vendors and fishermen heave sharks from dhows onto the wharf.
At Sunday’s auction, at least 120 people gathered in the 1,500 square metre lot.
Fish markets across the UAE have tried to adopt social distancing measures but similar scenes play out at fish markets in every city in the country each day.
Our souq is like a supermarket, it is essential. Some people can't go a day without fish
The coronavirus pandemic has emptied streets and closed offices yet fish markets are considered an essential service, and fishermen have been encouraged to head to sea as imports have dropped.
“Praise be to God, corona has had no affect on the fish market,” said Ahmed Al Shamsi, 38, an auctioneer at the Ajman market. “Up until now, prices have been good because fish is a healthy choice.”
Each emirate regulates its own markets. Only the Ajman souq has remained opened throughout the pandemic, attracting customers from Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah when other markets shut. A drop in imports has nearly doubled local fish prices.
Auction sites themselves are now closed to the public and theoretically, only sellers and auctioneers are permitted inside the sites.
In Ajman, buyers bid from a raised pavement outside and are asked to stand on marked squares at set distances. In practice, shoulders rub.
Inside his office at the side of the souq, fish market manager Ali Yusuf surveys CCTV footage from the market hall and auction yard as the bidding gets underway.
“Thankfully, it’s not many people compared to last week,” he said. “Look, people have to buy fish. Our souq is like a supermarket, it is essential. Some people can’t go a day without fish.”
Pausing, he watched porters brush past each other as the auction gained pace. “But maybe there is another way to do it,” he said.
In Dubai, where residents can no longer leave home without a permit, souqs are emptier.
After a brief closure, the Dubai fish market reopened on April 7 with thermal cameras and two daily deep cleaning sessions.
Emirati fishmonger Khalid Sulaiten said he had maintained his sales by reaching his customers through Instagram and WhatsApp.
He has relied on farmed fish to substitute for imports, which previously accounted for half his sales.
“Since the beginning of coronavirus I increased deliveries to all houses, not only to Dubai but also to Abu Dhabi and Al Ain,” he said.
“The government said people should stay home and we’re working on that.”
Fujairah’s fish auctions have moved to a larger area in the port. In Ras Al Khaimah, only one seller can enter the auction yard at a time.
Stay-home orders have not stopped nocturnal fishing trips.
“We also face issues with the police when we come back from fishing trips after 8pm during the sterilisation period and we asked for permits but didn’t get any till now,” said Malallah Al Shahhi, a 56-year-old Emirati fisherman from Ras Al Khaimah.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change lifted its seasonal ban on sheri (emperor fish), safi (rabbitfish), and sharks.
The annual ban was introduced in 2015 to protect species during the spawning season and restore decimated populations.
Food security has now taken priority, however, despite government assurances there is no risk of food shortages.
“The move aligns with the nationwide drive to ensure the availability of food products, including fish, to meet local demand, and to sustain the livelihood of fishermen and support the fishing sector amid the rising global health concerns,” said a ministry statement.
Fish migrate to cooler climes in the summer and so do fishermen, who often repatriate every summer to Gujarat, India, or Bangladesh.
Fishermen, who earn Dh1,000 to Dh3,000 a month, said an earlier return would not affect their income.
“When they start the flights again, I’ll go,” said Kiran Bari, 49, a Gujarati fishermen who lives in Ajman.
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