the goan I network
MARGAO
The hustle and bustle returned in the Goa’s lone wholesale fish market at Margao after a fleet of insulated fish vehicles rolled into the state from across the border, a day after the government modified the order on the import of fish by the traders from the neighbouring states.
Sources, however, said that FDA officials were not spotted in the market, and it could not be ascertained whether the officials were stationed at the border check posts to test the quality of the fish brought into the market from across the border.
While most of the insulated vehicles that arrived at the wholesale fish market were believed to have to come from neighbouring Maharashtra, full-fledged operations are set to resume in the market with the arrival of the vehicles from Karnataka.
A variety of fish including the prized Kingfish, besides mackerels, sole fish made their presence felt in the wholesale fish on Tuesday. The fish traders claimed that the arrival of the fish from across the border has brought relief to the fish loving Goans with the price of the fish, especially the prized kingfish, dropping today. “More than a dozen vehicles carrying fish from the across the Maharashtra border brought in tonnes of fish into the wholesale fish market on Tuesday. We expect vehicles from Karnataka to follow suit in a day or two”, informed President of the Margao wholesale fish market Association, M Ibrahim.
Sheikh Zaid told the media that the fish operations have resumed from across the borders following the peaceful rally called in by the All Goa Fishermen Union on Monday. “We had all participated in the rally, wherein Health Minister Vishwajit Rane had agreed to allow insulated vehicles into the market operating within 60 kms”, he said.
He pointed out that the fish traders will comply with all the guidelines laid down by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), adding that the fish that has come into the market was all transported by the insulated vehicles. “We will provide good and fresh fish to the customers. Tourists come to Goa to celebrate Christmas and New Year. With the resumption of fish operations, tourists can now look forward to variety of fish on the menu”, he added. SGPDA keeps hawk’s eye on vehicles
MARGAO: With the fish trading operations resuming at the wholesale fish market on Tuesday after a month-and-half long ban on fish import into the state, market owner, the South Goa Planning and
Development Authority (SGPDA) is maintaining a vigil on the traders whether they are complying with the condition that no vehicle should be parked inside the market after business hours. In fact, while most of the insulated vehicles were found parked all along the wholesale fish market road, beginning from La Grace hotel, a couple of vehicles were spotted by the SGPDA officials inside the market well beyond 10 pm.
