the goan I network
MARGAO
A group of boat owners and traditional fishermen on Thursday urged the government not to give entry to fish-laden trucks into the state due to the pandemic in the neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Briefing the media, Chairman of South Goa Mechanized Boat Owners Cooperative Society Antonio Fernandes and leader of Colva-based traditional fishermen, Domingos Rodrigues, made a fervent plea to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to seal the borders for trucks importing fish into the state.
They pointed out that either the wholesale fish market should not be reopened at all or should be reopened after sealing the borders for outside vehicles laden with fish.
Antonio said the boat owners and ramponkars want to caution the government that allowing outside fish vehicles into the state would pose a big corona risk to the local people.
“The wholesale market should not be reopened since fish trucks from across the border will enter the state. If the borders are not sealed, we will not be safe,” Domingos added.
He said the PDA can reopen the wholesale fish market, but only after sealing the borders for outside vehicles. “Let the local boat owners and traditional fishermen sell fish in the wholesale fish market. But no fish vehicle should be allowed into the market
from across the borders till the corona situation improves,” he said.
