The availability was not in proportion to the demand, say vendors. A consumer said the rate of fish like oola’ and vila’ had increased by Rs. 100 to Rs. 150. G. Arputharaj, a fish vendor, said the procurement price was more for the most preferred fish. One kg of vila’ fish, oola’ fish or para’ fish was being procured at Rs. 350 to Rs. 370 at the fish landing centre. Some varieties were sold at procurement price as seafood is a perishable commodity. As the annual 45-day ban on fishing by trawlers remains in force along the east coast, seafood is being procured from Muttom near Kanyakumari. Last week, one kg of seela’ fish was sold at Rs. 1,400. Now it has come down to Rs. 1,100 and 1,200. Most of the vendors go to Threspuram fish landing centre, where fishes netted by country boats were auctioned. Now, one kg of seela’ fish was being sold at Rs. 900 to Rs. 1,000 and it was tough to sell it even with a marginal profit. Hotels demands seela’ fish but they want it at the price agreed earlier. The price of prawn too has gone up by Rs. 100 a kg. A kg of prawns was sold at Rs. 350 to Rs. 450 depending on size. Cultured prawns were being procured from Andhra Pradesh to cater to the demands of consumers. Country boat fishermen could not net large quantity of fish, Santhya Pacheik, a fisherman from Threspuram, a coastal hamlet with a fleet of around 1,500 country boats, said. Only when the fish catch was worth Rs. 1.15 lakh and above, fishermen and boat owner could gain profit. But most of the country boat fishermen could get catch worth Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 70,000 only.