It appears to be a fight for survival.
The traditional fishing community from Canacona refuses toallow fish vendors from Majali in Karwar to carry out business in the newlyconstructed fish market in Canacona.
In the crossfire, the residents are the ultimate losers.
Fish vendors from Majali, Karwar offer fresh and largervariety of fish compared to the stuff sold by the traditional local fishvendors. Even their rates are competitive, some Canacona residents informed.
“The local fish vendors buy fish from the wholesale market,Margao and sell it to us at a higher margin, which is costlier than the ratequoted by fish vendors from Karwar,” residents said.
“The fish vendors from Karwar bring in good variety of fishand sell at a reasonable price. Unable to face the competition, local fishvendors do not allow them to carry out business in the new fish market,” saidMahesh Naik, Sarpanch of Poinginium.
Anxious of losing business, the local fish vendors refusepermission to their Karwari counterparts in the new fish market.
Further the local fish vendors for reasons best known tothem sit outside the market thereby blocking the entrance and obstructingsmooth flow of traffic.
Only the local fish vendors from Patnem, Tarir, Rajbag,Palolem and Galgibag have been given space in the new fish market constructedby the municipality a couple of years ago.
The fish vendors from Karwar are carrying out their businessby the side of the National Highway-17 road at different places at Shellar,Shristall, Mastimoll, Poinginium and consequently face a lot of hardships.
Some prominent residents from Canacona have called upon themunicipality authorities, to allow the fish vendors from Karwar to make use ofthe space in the new market.
“We will put the proposal of shifting the fish vendors inthe new market at the next council meeting,” assured Ajay Bhagat, the newlyelected Chairperson of Canacona Municipal Council (CMC). He said that he willtry best to allow the “outsider” fish vendors to use the new market.
It may be recalled the situation had turned violent inCanacona some months ago, when the local fish vendors attacked the fish vendorsfrom Majali, Karwar preventing them from selling fish at Shellar, Canacona.
