(JONGLEI, SOUTH SUDAN) – Fish traders have warned that a blockade on part of the River Nile in Jonglei State could trigger fish shortages and push up prices in Juba and other towns.
The chairperson of the South Sudan National Fish Traders Union, Mangar Kuot, said the disruption had affected the main transport route used to move fresh fish from some of the country’s most productive fishing grounds to Bor and the capital.
“When supply drops, demand rises, and when demand rises, prices also go up,” Kuot said.
He said most of the fresh fish sold in Juba came from the affected areas and depended largely on the River Nile for transport.
“There is only one main route, the River Nile,” he added.
Kuot said reduced supplies were already being felt in the market and warned that prices would continue to rise if the blockade remained in place.
