the goan I network
VASCO
Several fisherwomen at the Vasco fish market on Tuesday decided not to pay Sopo tax to the Mormugao Municipal council (MMC), on grounds that the MMC did nothing to safeguard their livelihood.
Agitated fisherwomen also decided to start selling fish on the footpath outside the fish market in protest and threatened to continue operating from outside the fish market and refuse to pay Sopo tax to MMC till their issues were resolved.
“What is the point of selling fish inside the market when we don’t find any clients? We have to stock fish in ice for the next day,” complained a fisherwoman Isabella Godinho.
“Boat owners and fish agents have now begun standing outside the fish market with rickshaw loads of fish selling it to the people at wholesale rates. They do it everyday and sell it in front of our eyes. We sell fish by portions and they sell by the kilo. This is our only bread and butter. Who will come inside the market if fish is available right outside the market,” asked Godinho.
Godinho said the fisherfolk had approached the MMC several times, but added that there had been no action against these
agents.
“Initially, hotel owners used to buy fish from these people, but now our regular customers form groups to buy fish in bulk at wholesale rates and divide among themselves.”
“There are some migrants who sell fish outside at all locations like KTC bus stand, Baina, etc and some migrants also sell fish house to house in all locations. They pay nothing to any authority and they are doing good business while we legal vendors have to go empty-handed without business,” said
Godinho.
Added another fisherwoman Maria D’Souza: “Migrant fish vendors are all over the city and MMC has done nothing till date but only collect sopo tax from us on a daily basis.”
“Why should we pay sopo tax to MMC if they cannot do anything for us in return against the daily fees. We will neither pay sopo nor occupy the fish market. We have now decided to sell fish outside the fish market,” said D’Souza.
When contacted, one MMC staffer on condition of anonymity said there has been two groups in the
market.
“One group was okay with the wholesale fish because it was their family members who had the trawlers, while another group opposed the sale of fish because they were placed at the back of the market and did not have business because of the sale of wholesale fish.” “It is their internal issue and we can’t act directly. They must put up a formal complaint in this regards. We have done our job and even verbally informed our officers in the technical department about this issue.”
“They have to act on this matter and we as ground staff are helpless and can’t act on the behalf of MMC without order. The MMC has always heard the grievances of fish vendors and helped them but we cannot resolve their internal differences,” said the MMC staff.
