Fish import: Wholesale agents maintain vigil at bus stands, railway stations

MARGAO

Is fish from across the State’s southern border entering into State via buses plying between Margao and Karwar, besides trains running along the Konkan railway route?

This question came to the fore on Friday morning after a group of wholesale fish agents intercepted three women and a man after they reportedly alighted outside the Margao KTC bus stand with half a dozen small aluminium containers containing river fish. After stopping the foursome from taking the containers to the wholesale fish market, the wholesalers called the Fatorda police to take cognizance of the fish coming into the State via the buses.

Confirming the incident, Fatorda police station in-charge, PI Navlesh Desai told the media that the four persons were told to take the fish back to their State. He further informed that the Fatorda police has informed their Canacona counterpart to check all vehicles, including passenger buses entering the State at the Polem border. “I have already reported the matter to the Canacona police to check buses entering Goa as well as heavy trucks. The persons, who had brought the fish in small aluminum containers were sent back to Karwar,” PI Navlesh added.

President of Margao Wholesale Fish Market Association Maulana Ibrahim has decried the entry of fish from outside into Goa via buses and trains. He said that the wholesale fish agents have returned back a consignment of shell fish that had come at the Margao railway station on Friday. “The wholesale fish agents are maintaining vigil at the wholesale fish market as well as the bus stands and railway stations to ensure that imported fish does not enter the State. We are concerned that the name of wholesale fish agents will be tarnished if the fish imported in buses and trains contain any preservatives,” he said.

Replying to a question, Ibrahim said that since the authorities have been found wanting in reining in on the fish imported from outside in buses and trains, members of the wholesale fish association fan out at the bus stands and railway stations as early as 4 in the morning to maintain vigil.

Another wholesale fish agent pointed out that the government machinery, instead of talking big before the media, should tone up the law enforcing machinery, and ensure that imported fish does not enter the State via trains and buses. “The authorities seem to be only content in checking heavy vehicles at the border whether they carry fish or not. After Friday’s incident, we hope the government machinery will also check the buses and maintain vigil at the Margao railway station,” he added, even as wholesalers suspected that trucks laden with fish had come to Margao in one of these days.