A section of fishmongers in Kisii County have appealed to the county government to close all undesignated fish outlets to save them from incurring more losses after the fish market dwindled following Covid-19 outbreak.
Speaking to KNA in Kisii town, Kisii Fresh Fish Market Chairperson Ben Mogaka said the centralized market will boost their sales as customers will be forced to buy fish at one designated area.
“The sale of fish has become widespread due to the effects of coronavirus and our customers no longer come here because they can get fish from anywhere,” said Mogaka.
Mogaka also noted that they have been operating at a loss in the past year due to high cost of purchasing fish from the suppliers brought about by the high demand for the commodity.
As part of promoting food safety, Mogaka said that the market has enough water for washing fish before selling them and all fishmongers have health certificates from the county public health department.
Ms. Halima Abdalla, a fish seller at the market also blamed roadside fishmongers and imported fish for reduced sales in Kisii town, while her colleague Victor Mayaka applauded the county government for opening the fresh fish market.
“We have experienced a decrease in sales since the pandemic began because most people lost their jobs and resorted to selling fish,” said Mayaka.
Kisii County government constructed a fresh fish market where all fishmongers are expected to preserve and sell their fish, but many are still selling the commodity at roadsides and other undesignated areas.
By Mercy Osongo and Erastus Michieka
