Between the ocean and a very hot place

The summer heat has been hard indeed and most people are happily able to avoid being exposed to the sun either in the safety of their homes or offices.Yet at the southern end of the Corniche fish vendors are busy with their trade out in the open from early in the morning until noon and then later in the afternoon until midnight. The open fish market, as it is known, caters to both locals and expatriates. The fish market is an important part of local tradition but no one selling fish there knows for certain how the market came to be there. Throughout the morning the vendors are caught in the open with no cover. The catch is kept on ice which melts at a remarkable pace in front of the buyers. “What’s the point in keeping fish in the open in summer,” one customer asked a vendor. The fishmonger was caught on the wrong foot and was at pains to assure the customer that the stock would stay. Veterans who made a beginning when only locals were allowed to sell fish here said: “Over the years that has changed and the present vendors are now in charge.” Since the market is located in a area which is part of the country’s fishing tradition no construction is allowed and only outdoor sale of fish is permitted. Old timers recall a similar fish market in Souq Assiry area about three decades ago, where large crowds used to be a regular feature in the evenings. “There also it was an open market with absolutely no cover,” recalled an old time Doha resident. There was also yet another fish market in Shara al Asmaq about four decades back, he said. “However the only one to survive is the one along the Corniche.” Fish traders said better facilities are a must for both sellers and buyers. “It would do us a world of good if at least a cover is provided.” While the main fish market in Mamoura has seen a major revamp the open market along Corniche has failed to catch the attention of the municipal administrators.