MARGAO
The wholesale fish market is back in the news, but for a different reason. Work on the multi-crore mega wholesale fish market may not be complete in all respects, but illegal retail fish vendors, mostly migrants, have occupied a portion of the new building.
In fact, a portion of the ground floor of the wholesale fish market building under construction is being occupied by the migrant retail fish vendors, throwing up questions how come dozens of vendors are selling fish in retail in the building under construction.
Take note, all these migrant retail fish vendors were doing business in the open space at the wholesale fish market. However, post-uproar between the president of the Margao Wholesale Fish Market Association M Ibrahim and the SGPDA appointed sopo contractor, the retail fish vendors have shifted their activity from the open space inside the market into the ground floor of the new market building, occupying a portion to sell the fish in retail.
A retail fish vendor from SGPDA mega retail fish market wondered how come the migrant vendors are allowed to sell retail fish in the wholesale fish market. “Most of these migrant vendors have been working as loaders in the wholesale fish market. They now double up as loaders as well as retail vendors by selling the fish in retail,” the fish vendor said.
The vendor added: “Wholesale fish market business means the fish traders sell the fish in bulk, mostly in boxes to the buyers. But, here in the wholesale fish market, we find the migrants selling fish in kilograms and small vanttes.”
Because of the retail fish sale in the wholesale fish market, we have no business in the retail fish market.”
Sources in the know pointed out the illegal migrant fish vendors have shifted their business activity to the portion of the ground floor of the new building since the space which they were occupying will be required to accommodate growing number of fish transporting vehicles in the wholesale fish market.
Goan fishermen including ramponkars sell fish on the paved portion outside
While the migrant vendors are selling fish in retail on the ground floor of the wholesale fish market building under construction, Goan fishermen, including traditional fishermen have occupied the paved portion at the entrance to the market.
With the new fishing season having commenced on August 1, fresh fish catch from the sea has started coming into the wholesale fish market, though in small quantities. Unlike the migrant fish vendors and fish traders, traditional fishermen have been insisting that they should not be categorised as retail vendors, but wholesalers since they bring fish caught from the sea for sale to the wholesale fish market.
