Jakarta’s fish markets would possibly smell unhealthy to outsiders, except for the boys and ladies who build a living selling contemporary seafood there, the markets are the simplest way of life. Onel, who sells fish at the market in North Jakarta’s Muara Angke, provides My Jakarta an insight into what it takes to form a living selling everything from squid to sharks and stingrays, and simply what happens to the leftovers at the tip of the day.
How did you get your begin selling fish?
My father may be a fisherman. once I was a toddler I loved to travel out to ocean and catch fish. I helped my father and naturally became a fisherman myself. however once being a fisherman for a moment, I modified my mind regarding the task and located work as a laborer. however eventually i spotted that my life is all regarding the ocean and fish, thus I went back to selling fish. I’ve been a fishmonger for over four years.
What types of things does one do as a fishmonger?
I sell fish. however not simply that, I even have to organize shaved ice — we tend to use plenty of ice, and that we keep the fish in ice-boxes to keep up freshness. Then, I even have to kind them into completely different boxes, weigh the fish, pack them, receive incoming stock, and patiently sit up for patrons to return to the counter and place an order.
What’s your average day like?
It’s pretty easy. I get up around six a.m. to 8 a.m. and then I weigh the fish promptly. I sometimes end weighing the fish at one p.m. And for the remainder of the day till nine p.m. I man my stall.
What style of fish does one sell, and the way a lot of do they cost?
I have barracuda for Rp twenty,000 [$2.30] a kilogram, catfish for around Rp ten,000 to Rp seventeen,000, sickle fish for Rp thirteen,000 and gobies for Rp twelve,000. Squid prices slightly bit a lot of, regarding Rp thirty five,000 a kilogram. I even have eels for Rp eighteen,000, stingrays for Rp fifteen,000 and black fin gulper sharks and zebra sharks for regarding Rp twenty five,000. however the costs will modification betting on provide.
Where are the fish from?
As so much as i do know, most of those come back from Jakarta Bay.
How does one tell the freshness of seafood?
Normally it’s the redness of the gills for fish. For squid, the whiter the body appearance, the better, whereas a reddish color isn’t superb. For mussels and crayfish, you investigate the condition of the body, whereas for crabs they need to be alive.
How will the business work?
I have a contract with many fishermen in Muara Angke. The fishermen withdraw before dawn and are available back within the morning, and then they deliver the fish to us. If the fishermen sell their fish, say, for Rp 30,000 a kilogram, then we tend to sell it for regarding Rp thirty five,000 to Rp forty,000 per kilogram, that’s how we tend to build a profit.
Have you ever had any issues selling fish in Muara Angke?
Fluctuating fish costs and also the competition with alternative fish sellers has caused me issues within the past. If a fishmonger has a lot of stock of a particular quite fish than alternative sellers, then they will sell the fish at a cheaper price than everybody else. Another issue that bothers me is that this fish market is extremely dirty. I hope they're going to build it lighter within the years to return.
How are you able to compete with the fish in supermarkets?
I’m not very positive. generally it’s dearer at the market compared with the supermarket. however i do know for a undeniable fact that we’ve got higher quality fish here, as contemporary stocks are available in daily.
What does one do with leftovers at the tip of the day?
The fish are caught alive and that we try and sell the maximum amount as attainable over the course of the day. Squid will keep contemporary for up to 2 nights, whereas alternative fish spoil in 3 nights. After that, I expire the fish to the salting station, where they preserve them by covering them in salt and then sell them on as salt-cured fish.
What’s your opinion regarding ocean conservation?
I’m not very positive. As so much as i do know the fishermen are prohibited from catching bound types of fish. however I don’t suppose any of the fish we've are rare or protected.
Where does one live?
I live within the Asbes compound, within the fisherman’s village, simply round the corner from the Muara Angke fish market.
What would you prefer to try to to within the future?
Well, if I’m very lucky, hopefully I may be a businessman and open up a restaurant of my very own at some point.
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