MARGAO
As the deadlock between the wholesale fish traders and the sopo contractor continued for the third day, fish may go missing from the plate on Easter Sunday.
Fish traders, engaged in importing fish from across the State borders, on Saturday confirmed that fish will not come into the State on Sunday or Monday, adding that a decision on the resumption of fish import will depend on the outcome of the meeting convened by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Jyoti Kumari on Monday morning.
While no fish vehicle has entered the wholesale fish market at Margao since the last three days, the wholesale market only played host to a couple of mini-vehicles, bringing in fish netted along the coast. The situation was further aggravated by the decline in the fish catch in the last one week, a situation attributed to lunar factors.
The wholesale fish traders had stopped bringing in fish since the last three days after a showdown with the sopo contractor. The traders had claimed that drivers are not ready to drive fish vehicles into the wholesale fish market after the face-off between the traders and the sopo contractor.
President of the Margao wholesale fish traders, M Ibrahim has ruled out the possibility of outside fish entering the wholesale fish market either on Easter Sunday or on Monday. “After the contractor had closed the gates of the wholesale fish market, the drivers are not ready to bring their vehicles in the market,” he said, adding ‘the wholesale fish traders will chalk out the future course of action only after the meeting with the Margao SDM on Monday morning’.
He lamented that none of the authorities, including the SGPDA or other government agencies deemed it fit to call the two parties across the table to resolve the imbroglio. “We had raised certain issues with the PDA in respect of the contractor, including tendering of the sopo contractor. Till date, the SGDPA has not found a solution to our problems,” he added.
SGPDA Chairman, MLA Wilfred D’Sa said the PDA is closely monitoring the situation. He said fish catch from the coastal belt made its presence in the market on Saturday. “We are closely monitoring the situation. Fresh fish catch from the coastal belt came in moderate quantities in the market today,” he said.
