Dearer fish for reunion dinner

Shortage of tiger garoupa as demand rises in Year of the Tiger and plankton hits farms
Jessica Lim, Straits Times 7 Jan 10;

THOSE who want a taste of the tiger garoupa this Chinese New Year are likely to be hit by a double whammy: The fish, usually already more expensive during this period, is set to be priced even higher.

The striped fish is a mainstay on reunion dinner menus due to its quality and relatively low price compared to other types of garoupa, say importers and distributors.

The surge in demand during Chinese New Year typically pushes prices up by about 15 per cent at restaurants - from $58 to almost $70 per kilogram, at an averagely priced restaurant.

However, two other factors are likely to push prices up even higher this year.

First, restaurants have lost a key supplier.

A plankton bloom hit fish farms off Pasir Ris and Pulau Ubin two weeks ago, depriving the fish of oxygen. About 20 floating farms reported a combined loss of 300,000 fish, more than half of which are tiger garoupa.

This number makes up 75 per cent of the total tiger garoupa production in Singapore.

Many of the fish were destined for restaurants here during the Chinese New Year next month.

Another factor that could spike price rises even further is the fact that the tiger garoupa, already popular during the festive season, is likely to be even more so this time around - the next lunar year is the Year of the Tiger, and many Chinese feel the dish will be auspicious.

'There will be some shortage of the fish, especially since demand is so high during Chinese New Year,' said Mr Dennis Ng, co-owner of Jong Fresh which supplies the fish to about 50 eateries here.

'We will get more fish from Indonesia and Malaysia, but prices will definitely go up.'

The 33-year-old predicts that prices will be about 20 per cent higher than they were during Chinese New Year last year.

Another supplier, Mr Ong Sing Seng from Seng Seafood Supplies, which supplies about five tonnes of the fish to Singapore every month, reckons that this year's supply of tiger garoupa will come mostly from Malaysia or Indonesia.

'Almost all the local supply of tiger garoupa is gone,' he said.

Some restaurants, wary that prices may put the dish beyond the reach of their patrons, are thinking of taking the fish off their menus altogether.

Marine Parade's Roland Restaurant and MacPherson Road's Ming Kee Live Seafood are among them.

'If prices go up too high, we will definitely switch to some other fish that are cheaper, and will stop selling it,' said Mr Thomas Tan, Roland Restaurant's manager. 'We will sell it only if customers ask us to bring it back and are willing to pay more.'

Ah Yat Seafood Market's six seafood restaurants will keep selling the fish, but pass a proportion - about 20 per cent - of the increase in cost to customers. Others which sell the fish at market prices, like Grand Copthorne Waterfront hotel, will continue to do so.

Fans of the tiger garoupa are peeved that they might have to pay a higher price for the fish this year, but some are willing to cough up the money.

'Eating tiger garoupa during Chinese New Year is part of the culture. It is like buying a Christmas tree during Christmas. We will stick to it even if prices go up,' said Mrs Sock Wee Lim, 50, a consultant. 'It's also good luck to consume tiger garoupa during the tiger year.'

Others, though, say they will make a switch.

'If a particular kind of fish becomes more expensive, I will switch to other kinds,' said homemaker Mabel Tjong, 53.