Amid bird flu, mutton shortage people prefer fish

Srinagar: Amid the scare of bird flu and the shortage of mutton in Jammu and Kashmir, people nowadays prefer to eat fishes.
People in different parts of Kashmir valley say that due to scare of bird flu, they left eating poultry products as a precautionary measure.
They also said that due to issues between government and mutton dealers over rates, there is a shortage of mutton in the valley.
“In the absence of poultry products and mutton, people nowadays are preferring to eat fishes,” they said.
Shakoor Ahmad, a fish dealer in Pulwama district, said that due to bird flu scare and shortage of mutton in the market, his sales have increased by more than 20 per cent in the last two months.
He said people usually eat fishes in winter as compared to summer, however, people this year preferred fishes more due to bird flu scare and shortage of mutton.
Rajesh, another fish dealer from Anantnag said that usually, he was selling around 200 kgs per day but this season he has sold even more than 300 kgs per day.
Officials in the fisheries department also said that their sales have increased from the last one or two months due to bird flu scare and shortage of mutton.
Athar Reshie, who is the president of fisheries employees association and in charge of two fish farms in South Kashmir said that they sold over 20 per cent fishes in the last two months