On Thursday, the government will declare the fish, popularly known as ‘Shevtto’, as the State fish of Goa and the one question on every Goan’s mind is, what’s in it for us? There is very little clarity on how the government arrived at this decision. Was it influenced by taste, price or some other factor? Perhaps, the choice was a random one made with the intention of emblazoning it on letterheads and seals. We don’t know. What we do know is that people want cheaper fish, not some fancy title without benefits. The common joke is that Goans are closer to crabs than the ‘Shevtto’, because every time a Goan tries to reach for the top, 10 other Goans pull him or her down. In the normal course, when an animal is conferred the title sought to be given to the ‘Shevtto’ it automatically gains some protection. In the case of the fish, one hopes no such protection will be extended because it could ignite a cuisine war.
