Fishmonger cluster: Supermarkets give assurance they have enough fish, urge customers to buy only what they need

• Supermarket chains are ramping up fish supplies from alternative sources
• They reassured shoppers that they will continue to have fresh and frozen seafood, but urged customers to buy only what they need
• There were no queues for seafood at the five supermarkets TODAY visited
• Supermarket employees said more shoppers bought fish between 7am and 1pm, but demand died down by the evening

SINGAPORE — In the wake of islandwide closures of wet market seafood stalls to stem further transmission of Covid-19 from clusters involving fishmongers, supermarket chains on Sunday (July 18) reassured shoppers that there is enough fish.

They also said that they are in the midst of ramping up fish supplies from alternative sources, as Jurong Fishery Port will be shut for two weeks from Saturday to July 31 for deep cleaning.

True enough, when TODAY visited five supermarkets on Sunday evening, plenty of fish were left, with the exception of the FairPrice Xtra outlet in Ang Mo Kio Hub where the only types of seafood left were squid, crayfish and one type of fish.

There, a sign alerted customers to a delay in the delivery of fish and seafood following the fishery port’s closure. “FairPrice is working closely with our suppliers to explore alternatives and ramp up existing supply to ensure seafood remains available,” the sign read.

In a Facebook post on Sunday night, Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, said that there may be temporary disruptions to the supply of chilled seafood. However, she stressed that there is no need for consumers to rush to buy seafood because frozen options remain available.

“Our retailers and suppliers will continue to ramp up alternative supplies to meet consumers’ demand. As we work together to overcome this temporary disruption, let’s play our part by being open to switching our food choices and trying different types of food,” she added.

There were barely any customers shopping for seafood on Sunday evening.

The only queues at the supermarkets were for durians.

At the FairPrice Finest outlet in Marine Parade, TODAY counted more than 20 people queuing for S$1.99 durians at about 5.30pm.

Lines for durians were also seen at two other supermarkets TODAY went to in Bedok, although they were shorter with about five people in the queue.

The situation was the same at a durian stand in Ang Mo Kio, although it was situated beside Chong Boon Market and Food Centre, which was on Saturday ordered to close for two weeks after two Covid-19 cases emerged.

NO QUEUES FOR FISH

The few people seen picking up seafood at the supermarkets said that they did not make a special trip to stock up on seafood, given the news that stalls selling fresh fish and seafood at markets managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) were ordered to shut on Sunday morning.

Mr Jimmy Per, 57, a butcher working at the NTUC FairPrice outlet at Block 212 Bedok North Street 1 in Bedok Town Centre, told TODAY that the surge in customers was in the morning, between 7am and 1pm.

The load of people looking to buy fish was similar to the kind he would experience yearly when families prepare for Chinese New Year celebrations, he added.

However, there was never a lack of seafood for sale because staff members worked to quickly replenish the stock before they ran out, he said. He observed more people buying frozen seafood as well.

An employee at the Sheng Siong supermarket outlet at Block 209 New Upper Changi Road who declined to be named said that three to four times the usual number of patrons came to buy seafood, compared to a typical Sunday.

The 53-year-old worker who tends the seafood counter at the supermarket similarly pointed out that the peak period was between 7am and 1pm.

HOW SUPERMARKETS SECURED STOCK

The Ministry of Health said on Saturday that seven people were found to be infected with the coronavirus at the fishery port.

In its nightly coronavirus update for Saturday, which was released only at 12.12am on Sunday, it added that fishmongers working in at least 11 markets across Singapore were infected, likely through contact with stallholders at the port.

Mr Seah Kian Peng, the chief executive officer of NTUC FairPrice, said that the supermarket chain had started acting as soon as news of the fishery port’s closure came.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, he said that work was underway to “pivot and make alternative arrangements” or they risked having no fresh fish at its stores.

The work, which includes setting up a new staging area to hold the fish, took half a day, and staff members had to work till 5am on Sunday to complete the job.

As a result, FairPrice supermarkets’ fish supplies remain unaffected on Sunday, he said.

“It will be tough work for all, especially the workers of our fish suppliers. We will try our best to ensure any disruption is kept to a minimum,” Mr Seah added.

In response to TODAY’s queries, an NTUC FairPrice spokesperson said that suppliers were contacted immediately to explore alternatives and ramp up supply, and more resources were quickly deployed to receive the fresh seafood and manage the increase in demand over the next two weeks.

“Fresh seafood is currently available in our stores and we also have a wide range of frozen seafood to complement demand,” she said, pointing out that the fish sold at its stores were sourced locally, as well as imported from countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Dairy Farm International Holdings, which operates the Cold Storage and Giant chains of supermarkets, is also working to increase its existing seafood supplies.

Its spokesperson told TODAY that the firm is in the midst of working with its “diversified supplier base”, so customers can be assured that its supermarkets will continue to have fresh and frozen seafood for purchase.

Both supermarket chains did not impose a purchase limit on seafood at this point, but encouraged customers to only purchase what they need.

The FairPrice spokesperson said: “Demand in our stores remains elevated today. We would like to encourage customers to only buy what they need.”

Putting out the same message as well, the Dairy Farm spokesperson said: “We seek our customers’ patience and understanding during this period as the team works hard to meet their needs.”

She added that its supermarkets will stay committed to keeping the prices of seafood stable, understanding that “these continue to be challenging times for everyone”.