Jambi, (ANTARA) - The recent extreme climate change has caused the production of fresh and dried fish in the east coast of Jambi Province to be disrupted and tends to decrease.

""With extreme climate change, fishermen's catches in the last few months have been disrupted and decreased,"" said fisherman in East Tanjungjabung Regency (Tanjabtim), Jambi David (40) in Muarasabak, the capital of Tanjabtim Regency, Friday.

David said that August is usually the time when marine fish production increases. This is because the dry season makes the water in rivers and lakes recede, making it easier to catch fish.

Entering August, he said, climatic conditions are unpredictable.

In August, it is expected to enter the dry season, but in fact the rain still occurs even with high capacity, as a result the condition of sea water, rivers and lakes is always deep. Not to mention the wind and wave conditions at sea are also erratic.

As a result, the fishing process is hampered, it has a direct impact on the supply of fish in the market to be depleted and in turn the price of fish soared.

David, who admitted to being a fisherman since the age of 15, said that due to erratic weather conditions, fishing activities were disrupted due to erratic sea wave conditions.

Meanwhile, according to the recognition of several fish traders in the Muarasabak market, the average price of fish on the market both sea fish and fresh fish has increased. The price of fresh fish, which is usually sold at IDR 15 thousand per kilogram, can now reach IDR 20 thousand per kilogram.

""Large size cork fish costs Rp25 thousand per kilo, previously Rp20 thousand, baung fish Rp30 thousand per kilogram from the previous Rp20 thousand,"" said Ida, a peddler at the Tuesday market, Muarasabak.

According to Ida, due to the high cost of river and sea fish, many traders in Tanjabtim switched to selling cultured fish. This is because the production of cultured fish using a cage system is not disturbed by weather conditions.

In addition, the price also did not experience a significant spike. Ida said, the price of the best quality cultured carp is only Rp20 thousand per kilogram, medium quality Rp15 thousand per Kg, catfish Rp17 thousand per kg, medium quality Rp15 thousand per kg.

""Meanwhile, good quality tilapia fish is Rp20 thousand per kg, medium quality is Rp15 thousand per kg, while river pomfret is only Rp15 thousand per kg, medium quality is Rp12 thousand per kg,"" Ida added. (*/wij)