Door-to-door fish mongers raise a stink Friday, 21 January 2011 02:54

DOHA: Illegal fish sellers going from door-to-door in several expat-dominated areas of Doha are doing brisk business under the very nose of the authorities.

And not households alone are their permanent clientele. On the list of patrons of these vendors are also shops and restaurants.

Reliable sources say the unlicensed vendors buy fish stocks at the early morning auctions at the Central Market and then they go about conducting their lucrative trade undeterred.

Traders at the Central fish market, who claim they are already suffering due to large fish sales at some of the major shopping complexes, say the illegal vending business could completely ruin their business.

The once-vibrant fish market has lost much of its charm after the opening of several new outlets selling fish in the city, especially those attached to the mushrooming hypermarkets.

“This is the new challenge we are facing in the form of fierce competition coming from door-to-door vendors who are operating on the sly,” said a market source.

“It’s a big blow to our already dwindling business.”
Renovation currently under way at the central market also has an adverse impact on their sales, as people generally tend to avoid going to the place.

“We have lost about 50 per cent of our business mainly due to the unlicenced vendors and competition from the hypermarkets,” lamented a trader who has been doing business at the central market for about two decades.

These part-time vendors attend the daily morning auctions at the market and buy fish from the wholesalers. They then supply it directly to households, shops and restaurants. “All they require is a small van to transport the fish. They don’t have to hire a shop or bear any other overheads. They can sell fish to customers at the same prices as we do or even at lower prices,” said the trader.

Central market sources say the vendors are able to operate freely in the market as there is no monitoring at the auctions. “Just about anyone can come and buy fish from the wholesalers. There is no supervision,” said a source.

These vendors have an additional advantage of having regular customers. Besides fish, many of them also supply fruits and vegetables, also bought from wholesalers in the central market.

A number of restaurants, households and labour accommodations rely on these vendors on a daily basis.

They go out early morning and knock at every doors looking for customers. They also provide their mobile numbers to their clients so that people can contact them whenever they need their service.

The customers find their service very helpful since they can get rid of the hassles of going all the way to the market or a shop to buy fish or vegetables.

But all the people would not be impressed, especially those who have doubts about the quality of the items supplied by these vendors.   THE PENINSULA

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