The annual season for catching knife fish in the Yangtze River got under way last week, but with stocks of the local delicacy dwindling and its expected inclusion on a protected species list, commercial fishermen fear this year might well be the last.

Gao Mingjing, who operates a fishing boat out of Chongming Island and is one of just 125 people licensed to pull knife fish from the Yangtze this year, told Shanghai Daily yesterday that the likelihood of a fishing ban has seen the price of his catch soar.

"We're selling them for about 2,000 yuan for 500 grams on the dockside," he said.

"That's up from about 1,300 yuan this time last year."

Gao explained that the price was for medium-sized fish, weighing about 135 grams apiece. Smaller fish cost less, and larger ones more, though the latter are becoming extremely hard to find, he said.

Fan Shoulin, secretary general of the Shanghai Fisheries Trade Association, said that the decision taken by the Ministry of Agriculture in November to consider adding knife fish to the protected list was long overdue.

"If steps are not taken to protect the species, it will disappear for ever from the Yangtze River, just like others have done in the past," he said.

Although the official fishing season started just over a week ago — it runs from March 1 to April 20 this year — Gao said that most experienced fishermen know that the biggest catches are yet to be landed.

"We've taken very little so far, but the hauls should start to rise over the coming days. We get to know when the best fishing times are," he said.

The lack of supply, coupled with strong demand, has been key to the price rise, he said.

"If the big catches don't come in soon, the price might go up even higher," he said, though added that if they do, it is equally likely to fall.

At a local fish market yesterday, Shanghai Daily found medium-sized knife fish on sale for between 450 and 1,800 yuan per 500 grams.

Gao explained the reason for the price differential.

"A lot of the fish that goes on sale very early in the season is old stock that's been in a freezer since last year," he said.

"The other possibility is it's not from the Yangtze. There are various types of knife fish, and different times and places to catch them," he said.

"The most sought-after are the ones that have come from the sea into the fresh water of the Yangtze and all the saltwater has washed off. If you miss them there, you can catch them in the lakes, but they're not as good," he said.

While exact figures are unavailable, experts told Shanghai Daily that local boats are unlikely to pull more than a few dozen tons of knife fish from the Yangtze this year.

In 1973, the total was 3,750 tons, though that figure had dropped to less than 100 tons by 2002.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)