GEORGE TOWN: The Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) has urged the authorities, including the Fisheries Department, to probe the rise in prices of ikan kembung (Indian mackerel) from RM18 to RM22 per kilogramme.
The spike in prices is said to caused by both a shortage in the fish and the role middlemen are playing.
CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader said if there was any truth to these claims, it could affect the country's food supply and burden consumers.
"The relevant authorities must give due attention and investigate this matter as well as initiate immediate mitigation measures of which the outcomes should be made public," he said
The Malaysian Competition Commission (MyCC) was reported to have stated that Malaysia was forced to import Indian mackerel from China, Yemen and Pakistan as well as frozen Indian mackerel from Middle Eastern countries and Singapore to fulfil the country's local needs due to a shortage issue.
Mohideen also called on the Fisheries Department to take action against fishermen who catch Indian mackerel fry and sell them to those managing aquaculture projects as feed for the fish they were rearing.
"This practice has been going on for a long time and could be one of the contributing factors for the low supply and increase in market price.
"CAP urges the Fisheries Department and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to strictly enforce the Fisheries Act 1985 to ensure the conservation of the country's fishery resources for the future," he added.