the goan I network
MARGAO
Blaming four leading fish agents behind the rising prices of fish in the Goan market, the staple food of Goans, former minister Mickky Pacheco on Saturday sought the intervention of the government to rid Goa’s lone fish market of the dozens of sub-agents and make fish available to the locals at cheap rate.
Addressing the media, Mickky set eight days time to the government to put the wholesale fish market in order, failing which he threatened to lead the local fishermen on the streets to rectify the wrongs.
He said the four main fish agents, Ibrahim Maulana, Abubaker, Sultan and BM, bring fish from outside Goa into the wholesale fish market at Margao where it is then distributed to the markets in Vasco, Panaji and Mapusa. “Ever since Vijai Sardesai became the TCP Minister, these four non-Goan agents have become very bold and have started harassing the Goan fishermen-cum-trawler owners. What Vijai has done is he has given 80 per cent of the wholesale fish market to these four non-Goan agents and has illuminated this area. He has left only the corners, which is roughly 20 per cent of the market, to the Goan fishermen. These corners are not illuminated and hence in darkness,” he said.
Mickky further alleged that these four non-Goan agents flood the market the previous night itself with vehicles from outside Goa. He adding further, “Due to this, our Goan fishermen cannot get their fish into the market in the morning, leaving them high and dry”.
“These four non-Goan fish agents with the support of the TCP Minister successfully keep the Goan fishermen out and thus sell fish that comes from outside Goa at thrice the cost, leaving Goans with no option than to buy every expensive fish,” he added.
Replying to a question, he said he is not opposed to the entry of outside fish, but the fish brought from outside should be sold directly to the fishermen by getting rid of the agents. “I belong to the fishermen community and we will not leave a single stone unturned to secure the rights of traditional fishermen and boat owners in the wholesale fish market,” Mickky asserted.
