SOMETHING fishy is going on at the Markets. There have been complaints about the persistent smell lingering in the area of the French Halles where traditional traders are temporarily accommodated.

‘It’s dreadful – it’s really bad,’ said Guille-Alles deputy chief librarian Laura Milligan.

‘The smell comes right to the very top floor. We’ve had quite a number of complaints and the staff are also suffering.’

The main source appears to be a vent pointing towards the library’s disabled entrance.

She said it was too early to tell whether people were being put off going there.

‘My son wouldn’t walk past that to get to the library because he’d vomit,’ said 40-year-old Caroline Pinchemain.

Another library-goer said she wouldn’t stay long because of the smell of fish.

Guernsey resident Peter Harrison said these types of issues were to be expected with building development of this size.

‘The developers are going to have to be able to do these sorts of things – I’m okay with it.’

Traders are blaming a combination of hot weather, low ceilings and lack of air conditioning.

Earlier this week they had complained about the heat.

‘It is a fish market, so it’s still going to smell a bit, but hopefully it will get sorted out soon,’ said fishmonger Monty Vaudin.

Fruit, veg and flower stall owner Stephen Hackley said it wasn’t the fish stall to blame, but the conditions that they were working in.

‘It’s basically a greenhouse. Before, the airflow was really good when there were archways and iron gates,’ he said.

‘Today’s cooler than normal and it’s 29 degrees in here. On some days it gets up to 35, whereas in the Markets the hottest day would have been 28 maximum.’

Traders said business has not yet been affected, but added that the smell wasn’t helping.

A spokesman for developer McAulay said that it was aware of the issue and was looking into it.