As Venezuela braces for the Holy Week vacation, considered a truce in the political diatribe, Venezuelan Tuna Fisheries Association (Avatun) president Jose Manuel Moreno has allayed fears of fish shortages, announcing that there will be plenty of fish to buy ... “wholesalers and retailers are fully stocked to meet the additional Holy week demand.†Most Venezuelans abide by the Christian tradition of abstaining from red meat and eating fish during Holy Week.
Venezuela’s tuna commercial fleet brings fish to factories in Cumana and Punto Fijo from Pacific and Atlantic oceans and the Caribbean. Moreno praises the high Omega 3 content in tuna that benefits consumers health. Although Avatun says it’s prepared to supply popular sectors with fresh tuna, it admits that distribution is limited because of the lack of a distribution chain. Barrio slums and other areas depend on individual suppliers that arrive in a truck to sell tuna and other kinds of fish.