MARGAO
A day after the inspection of the market premises as per the High Court directions, the Margao Municipal Council on Thursday morning clamped down on fish vendors outside the wholesale fish market on the ground they were engaged in the retail sale of fish.
Margao Municipal workers in the presence of market inspectors and SGPDA officials confiscated boxes and baskets full of fish as they went about stopping fish sale outside the wholesale fish market.
Besides fish, items such as chairs and boxes used in the sale of fish were seized by the municipal workers.
Pleas made by the fish vendors that they are Niz Goemkars and that they sell the fish netted in the sea found no favour with the municipal inspectors.
Some of the vendors claimed that they are traditional fishermen involved in wholesale fish sale also found no takers. The municipal inspectors pointed out that they have no right to sell fish outside the wholesale fish market.
A SGPDA official told the fish vendors that no retail sale of fish will be permitted on the paved portion outside the wholesale fish market. Pointing out that the timings of the wholesale fish market starts at 4 am and ends at 10 am every day, the official said no fish activity will be permitted either inside the wholesale fish market or outside.
In fact, the official said those who want to carry out retail fish sale trade should instead go to the SGPDA retail fish market.
The official later told media that the action against the fish activity outside the wholesale fish market has been initiated after the decision taken jointly by the SGPDA and the Margao Municipal Council.
“From today, no retail sale of fish will be allowed outside the wholesale fish market. This market is meant for wholesale fish trade. If anyone wants to sell fish, they can go to the PDA retail fish market”, he said.
The confiscated fish was later distributed to the orphanages located in around Margao.
