Ban on imported fish lifted, but vendors lament dull business

MARGAO

: Though the government has lifted the 15-day ban on import of

fish

from other states, it continued to be another dull business day for retail fish vendors at the newly-renovated South Goa planning and development authority (SGPDA) retail fish market at Fatorda on Saturday.

A STOI correspondent who visited the market on Saturday morning witnessed just around 20 customers bargaining with vendors for fish of their choice.

Margao residents R B Khandeparkar and his wife who were among the early morning customers said, “Fish has become very costly and sufficient quantities of Goan fish are not arriving at the market. Non-Goans should not be permitted to sell fish in Goa. After the ruin of the mining industry, looks like it is now the turn of the fish industry.”

Also spotted inspecting the varieties of fish on sale was prominent Goan tiarist, Jose Anthonio Agostinho Fernandes aka ‘Anthony San’. Speaking to STOI, Fernandes said, “There is limited choice and quantity of fish on sale. Vendors are scared to procure fish in huge quantities and as a result, fresh fish is sold off quickly and those coming late do not have much choice to pick from.”

While one fish vendor, Francisca Dias said that fish has become cheaper due to the arrival of fresh stock, Margao Retail Fish Vendors Association president Felix Gonsalves said, “While prices of fish continue to be the same, business is slow. It will take at least another eight days for the situation to improve.”

Meanwhile, wholesale fish trader Kanta Naik said they expected much lesser quantities of imported fish to arrive as there has been an abundance of local fish available.

“There was a bumper catch of local bangde (mackerels) on Thursday which were being sold for between Rs 70 to Rs 80 per kilo as compared to Friday’s price of big mackerels being sold for Rs 120 a kilo,” Naik said.