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Vendors complain, sales slump while customers cheer on new Muara Baru fish market
Some sellers have complained that the days were not so bright for their sales in the market months after they were relocated in February.
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Vendors arrange fish before opening shop at the Muara Baru Fish Market in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Saturday. (JP/Nina Loasana)
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naugurated by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in March, hopes were high that Indonesia's first-ever modern fish market would provide facilities for sellers and buyers to meet in a clean and modern setting, modeled after the famous Tsukiji fish market in Japan.
But unlike the Tsukiji fish market known for its fresh fish auction, no such activities were taking place at the Muara Baru Fish Market in Penjaringan district of North Jakarta on Saturday morning. Some vendors were waiting for customers with buckets of sea food in their stalls, while a handful of visitors were looking around for fresh fish.
Some sellers have complained that these days were not bright for sales months after they were relocated to the market in February.
Samsudin, one of the vendors, said he had seen sales drop by up to 30 percent after moving to the new three-story building.
“Sales were better at the old market. By moving here, I’ve lost some of the regular customers from the old market. It’s quite bad for my business, as they would usually buy fish in large quantities,” Samsudin, who sells fresh squid and grouper, said on Saturday.
He currently depends on passersby to buy his products. He also relies on the market's peak hours from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. when most visitors and resellers come to the market.
Samsudin said he could only gain a small amount of profit on the products he resold for big fishing companies.
