Cod shortage? What cod shortage?

FISH markets in Cyprus seem have so far remained unaffected by — or even blissfully unaware of — an international codfish shortage.

While European fishing industry leaders have expressed concern over dangerously depleted North Sea stock and the European Commission has temporarily banned fishing from once cod rich areas, local fish markets hadn’t even heard of the shortage.

Christos Dilliros of the Triena Fishmarket in Strovolos said: “The cod we get is frozen from Europe. There have been no problems in getting our orders filled. Not yet anyway.”

Another Nicosia fish market initially thought the question was a practical joke and the markets contacted in Paphos, Larnaca and Limassol said they had no idea there even was a shortage.

The owner of one Limassol store said: “We have so many kinds of fish, even local ones, that if there is a shortage I imagine people will just buy something else.”

She suggested that haddock could be used as a fair replacement: “But, as I said, we haven’t had any problem getting the fish so far.”

Supermarkets also said they were not aware of any problem.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.