Praneeta Prakash 
[File Photo]
The Ministry of Fisheries has clarified that it currently does not hold the regulatory authority to control or monitor fish prices in the country.
Permanent Secretary, Sanjana Lal, revealed this during submissions before the Standing Committee on Natural Resources on the Ministry of Fisheries’ 2021–2023 Annual Report.
She says the current fish market prices is usually determined by the fishermen and middlemen themselves.
[Source: Ministry of Fisheries Fiji/Facebook]
Planning and Economic team member Freddy Ledua says the Ministry, however, is actively reviewing existing legislation to explore the possibility of including price monitoring mechanisms.
“I think the Ministry is working towards trying to at least, in our review process of the current legislation that we have, if we can put something in there to address this issue that you just raised. Probably not on the fish price by bundle, but we are looking at by kg, in a sense that can also, but those are the things that we are looking at when we are currently reviewing our legislation at the moment.”
The Ministry further explained that the initiative is still in its early stages and is part of a broader legislative review aimed at addressing ongoing challenges in the fisheries sector.
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