MARGAO
Traditional fishermen on Friday insisted that local wholesale fishermen includes the boat owners who come with tons of fish as well as the canoe fishermen who bring two baskets full of fish in the market for sale.
Asserting the local fishermen are not traders, who bring fish from across the borders into the wholesale fish market, the traditional fishermen demanded that the wholesale fish market cannot restrict their activity in the market, saying their business depends on the fish caught from the sea.
Benaulim-based ramponkar Jose Fernandes said he should enjoy equal right to sell two baskets full of fish in the wholesale fish market along with the boat owners who bring boxes of fish. “Just because the traditional fishermen come with just two baskets of fish, he or she cannot be labelled as a retailer,” Jose said, adding that the traditional fishermen will intervene in the High Court if justice is sought to be denied by the authorities.
Cutbona-based traditional fisherman Vinay Tari said grave injustice will be done on fishermen if they are denied to enter the market with one or two baskets full of fish. “We are opposed to retail or resale of fish in the wholesale market. But, under the guise of stopping retail, care should be taken so that the traditional fishermen who get their fish catch from the rivers or sea are not stopped from entering the market just because he comes with one or two baskets of fish,” Tari added.
GRE leaders Olencio and Agnelo echoed similar sentiments, saying the wholesale fish market was built for the benefit of the traditional fishermen.
