Fish market escapes ravages of oil spill

The Fish Market here has not been affected by the oil slick since fishermen go fishing in deep water far from the polluted areas. A survey conducted by Gulf News yesterday showed that the fish market is not affected and consumers are still buying fish as usual.

Ossama, an Egyptian fisherman, said they have begun fishing far out, in deep water, away from the beaches that have been affected by the slick. "Of late, with news of foot-and-mouth and other diseases, there has been an even greater demand for fish," he said, but added that the price of fish had risen recently because strong winds and high seas had affected the daily catch.

"But there are some cautious customers who ask whether the fish we sell is polluted or not," said Ossama. Mohammed Ahmed, a national fisherman, agreed that no polluted fish has been caught by Sharjah fishermen. "Fish always escape polluted areas and never eat any material if polluted with oil," he said.

He said the fact that many people have stopped eating meat has increased the demand for seafood. "People prefer to eat fish and do not stop to think whether the fish is polluted or not," he said. "I always come to buy fish at this market, but I started coming here more often after hearing about foot-and-mouth disease," resident Abdulrahman said.