Fish prices double at Wairkoja Market after Sikka earthquake
Fish at Wairkoja Market in Maumere, Sikka regency, was reported at around Rp600,000 per box on Friday, 4 September 2026, roughly double pre-quake levels, with traders citing fog at sea and disrupted distribution after the August earthquake.
By Mukmin John
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· Event date: · 4 min read
Maumere, Sikka — Trade at Wairkoja Market in Maumere, Sikka regency, has largely returned to normal in the weeks after the August 2026 earthquake, but fish prices remain sharply higher, with one television report citing around Rp600,000 per box compared with about Rp300,000 before the disaster, a rise of roughly 50 percent according to Metro TV News.
The Metro TV segment, broadcast on Friday, 4 September 2026, described traders at Wairkoja Market selling daily necessities ranging from vegetables and fish to staple goods and handicraft materials, while noting that fish prices had doubled from pre-quake levels.
According to the report, traders attributed the price increase to fog over the sea that was hampering the distribution of fish to the market.
Earthquake and emergency response
The price rises and supply disruption followed a series of strong earthquakes affecting parts of East Nusa Tenggara in August 2026.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake in mid-August shook Nusa Tenggara Timur, including Sikka, causing fatalities and damage in Maumere and surrounding areas, according to national and regional coverage of the event.
Subsequent analysis by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and media reports noted thousands of aftershocks in the weeks after the mainshock, some of them felt in Sikka and nearby regencies.
The Sikka district government declared and later extended an emergency response period for the earthquake, then shifted to a formal transition phase towards recovery.
On 11 September 2026, the regency administration ended the extended emergency status and set a 90-day transition from emergency to recovery, running from 12 September to 10 December 2026, according to a notice on the Sikka government website and subsequent reporting by regional media.
Government data compiled at the end of the emergency period showed that thousands of residents remained in displacement sites across the regency, although some had gradually returned home during September.
Fish prices and other commodities
In its 4 September 2026 broadcast, Metro TV News reported that fish at Wairkoja Market was selling for about Rp600,000 per box, up from roughly Rp300,000 before the earthquake, and said traders viewed this as a 50 percent increase.
The segment did not specify the fish species, box size or weight, or whether the quoted price applied uniformly to all fish vendors in the market.
Metro TV News attributed the price increase to foggy conditions at sea that were disrupting the flow of fish from landing sites to Wairkoja, characterising the problem as a distribution issue rather than a surge in consumer demand.
Other food items at the market also became more expensive, though to a lesser degree.
According to the same report, the prices of cooking oil and rice rose by around Rp2,000 to Rp3,000, while mustard greens increased by about Rp3,000 to Rp4,000 after the earthquake.
Market operations and infrastructure
Despite the price increases and ongoing aftershocks, Wairkoja Market was able to reopen quickly.
Metro TV News reported that trading resumed at the market one to two days after the earthquake and that overall activity there had returned to normal by the third week after the disaster.
The television segment said Wairkoja’s infrastructure had not suffered significant damage, with no major cracks or structural problems observed that would prevent trading.
In contrast, other areas of Sikka experienced heavier impacts.
Government statements and regional coverage described damage and continued displacement in parts of the regency, including island and hill communities, with thousands of residents recorded in temporary shelters during the emergency phase.
The Sikka regent announced the preparation of around Rp20 billion for post-earthquake infrastructure repairs after the emergency period was extended and later ended, according to the Metro TV News report.
While market activity in Maumere has largely normalised, the elevated fish prices at Wairkoja Market highlight the continuing influence of disrupted marine conditions and distribution routes on local livelihoods in Sikka.
Sources
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