In addition, fish contains high amount of Omega 3.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono has assured of sufficient fish stock to meet the demand during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the holy day of Eid al-Fitri 1443 Hijri.

"Fish demand during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr is estimated to reach 2.64 million tons, while the fish stock during April–May 2022 is predicted at 2.99 million tons, considering the fishermen’s fishing pattern and the condition of aquaculture seasons,” the minister said during a joint working meeting with Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives here on Wednesday.

The fish stock is projected to be sufficient to meet the community needs during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, he added.

The availability of fish ahead of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr has been sufficient in the past three years, he noted.

Meanwhile, the average price of fish in several big cities is estimated to increase by 5–10 percent in the first week of Ramadan.

Trenggono said that this will be due to an increase in demand for fish and the usual reluctance of fishermen in venturing out to sea at the beginning of the holy month.

"However, the price will become stable in the second week of the month until Eid al-Fitr day. Furthermore, the demand will decrease during the holy day and become stable on the third day after the holy day,” he predicted.

The demand is expected to increase again on the seventh day after Eid al-Fitr, he added.

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Fishery commodities have a variety of choices and competitive pricing ahead of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr compared to other protein source products, such as eggs and chicken meat, the minister noted.

"In addition, fish contains high amount of Omega 3," he added.

The ministry will prepare fish stocks from frozen warehouses and aquaculture production to maintain the stability of the supply and prices.

The holy month of Ramadan 1443 Hijri is estimated to fall in early April 2022 as the Religious Affairs Ministry is scheduled to hold a meeting to determine the first day of the month on April 1, 2022.

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Translator: Aditya Ramadhan, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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