Once Buyers Were So Crowded There Was No Room to Sit, Now They Sit Around All Day

Ornamental fish traders at the Fisheries Product Promotion Centre (TPHP) in Cengkareng, West Jakarta, are complaining about the lack of visitors at the sales hub. The scene, once filled with bustling buying and selling activity, has changed. Traders who used to be busy rushing around serving customers are now often sitting and staring at their mobile phone screens due to the scarcity of visitors. This situation has been felt by the traders since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. They say the number of visitors has dropped drastically compared to before. “To put it in perspective, when it was busy, it was hard to even find a seat. The flow of visitors was so dense that we were too occupied serving them. Now, almost all the traders are just sitting around, playing on their phones,” said Nando when met by Kompas.com at the location on Wednesday (29/4/2026). As a result, Nando’s shop turnover has plummeted sharply. Previously, he could earn Rp30 million to Rp40 million per month, but now his income does not even reach Rp10 million. According to Nando, the quiet market is not due to a decrease in public interest in ornamental fish. In fact, the number of enthusiasts is considered to be continuously increasing. However, the sluggish economic conditions are making people hold back on spending, including on hobbies. “The number of hobbyists is actually growing. But the economy isn’t in great shape, so people aren’t spending much money on collecting ornamental fish anymore,” said Nando. “Even unique fish like Palmas, priced at around Rp150,000 for the albino variety, used to sell quickly, but now it takes about three months for one to sell,” he added. In addition to economic factors, the poorly maintained condition of the building’s infrastructure is also seen as affecting visitor interest. The aged appearance of the building makes the market look as if it is abandoned. “The building facilities do look old, so from the outside, it seems like this fish market is almost closed or neglected. If it were renovated to look more attractive from the outside, visitors might feel curious enough to come back,” explained Nando. “Covid was indeed a problem, but in fisheries, it turned it into a real tourist spot. It was crowded every day. All kinds of fish sold well because many people were bored at home. Especially betta fish; that really exploded,” said Arif. Now, the situation has reversed. Traders’ turnover has dropped drastically, and even fish prices have fallen. Betta fish that used to sell for Rp150,000 to Rp200,000 each now only fetch around Rp20,000.