PANAJI: Alleging that officials at the check-post are just sending back all fish carrying vehicles, fishermen from three bordering districts of Dakshin Kannada, Udipi and Uttar Kannada demanded that Goa lift the ban on import of fish from Karnataka.
A delegation of fishermen association from these three districts of Karnataka led by All India Fishermen Congress working president U R Sabhapathi along with some members of Goan fishermen associations called on Fisheries Minister Vinoda Paliencar and presented a memorandum voicing this demand.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress House here Sabhapathi said the import ban since June 2018 which has been extended for next six months has been affecting the poor innocent fishermen of Karnataka.
“It is false propaganda that fish from Karnataka contains formalin which led to the ban of fish import,” he added.
Responding to questions Sabhapati said, some fishermen from Odisha or other far away states may have been using formalin but those from Karnataka never use the chemical for preservation of fish.
Sabhapathi said fish from Mangalore, Udupi and Karwar is transported within six hours to Goa so there is no need of any preservative to be added.
He said, using insulated vehicles for transportation of fish is not practical considering high costs of the vehicle.
