I’m Not Paying $35 For 10 Flying Fish – UPDATE: NOW $40
UPDATE: The below article was written 2 years ago, at that time flying fish was selling $35 per 10, now it’s $40 per 10!
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The cost of flying fish isn’t coming down anytime soon or for that matter ever again, those days are gone, get over it!
We have seen all the ads going around social media $35 for 10 ready boned flying fish and some vendors are trying to get more sales by offering this national dish for as low as $25 for 10 but even that price still has die-hard fish lovers staying out the market.
To put this matter into perspective, we need to go back into the history machine about 30 years ago when one could enjoy this bajan delicacy for only $10 for 100 fish, but you would need to de-bone them or for another $10 you could have the bones removed.
Back then fish were plentiful as I’m sure they are now but for some reason the fish does seem smaller, forcing me to eat at least 3 alongside my food, I can speculate as to why they are so small but I’ll leave that to the experts.
Much More Overheads
Back then most fishermen just had a boat and maybe an engine attached to the boat. These days all fishermen have better high quality engines and spend much longer times out at sea, the cost of diesel went up many times over the last 30 years, fishermen now have mobile phones, internet, cars, homes and their children are going to higher education schools locally and abroad and some of that cost must be passed on to the consumer.
Pirates Of The Caribbean
I’ve heard a few horror stories of fishermen being robbed at sea by drug runners or just other crooked fishermen from other islands but most of these stories are not seen on your local media channels so there is no sympathy when fishermen increase the cost of their goods for better security devices.
The boats these days are not Moses they are much better and more equipped boats and they need maintenance; which family member wants to hear about a fisherman father or brother lost at sea.
Fishermen want the same luxuries in life as you and your children.
But is it the fishermen or the vendors who decide on retail price.
I’m Not Paying $35 For 10 Flying Fish
Let’s fast forward to present day 2020, 30 years later, a new decade has begun. For those of us who have been buying flying fish about 30 years ago will be hard-pressed to shell out $35 for 10, it’s like growing up with a mango tree and eating all the mangoes you want, then going into the market and see mangoes selling, your mind won’t come to buying any.
However for the younger people who are now starting out they will buy for sure, not me, I’m not ready yet for that, my mind isn’t ready to move from 30 years ago, the reason why my mind isn’t ready is because I have choices, like pork, lamb, chicken and saltfish.
The power of choice is something this author loves to exercise when I have options, I have no choice but to pay that hateful $3.50 when I have to get the bus so I suck it up and pay it.
When I saw that ad on Facebook $25 for 10, I felt good, still a bit high but everyone has to make a living and a good living too, the minister recently upgraded the Bridgetown fish market so these sons and daughters of the soil can continue to sell us this national delicacy in a clean environment.
Don’t spend all on cruises and those overpriced cars sitting in your garages, vendors want to cruise to, not just see the cruise ship passengers walk past them daily going up Bridgetown.
It’s sad that the fish market doesn’t have a daily-like Oistins atmosphere where those cruise ship passengers can enjoy the fish as I’m sure they would be more willing to pay $35 for 10 but not me.
