Dry salt fish may be a delicacy in many parts of Goa.
It’s a tradition amongst many Goans and the people ofneighbouring Karwar to buy dry salted fish in bulk and stock it for the monsoonseason when fresh fish is scarce.
But some unethical methods used while preparing the dry fishhave raised questions about the quality of the dry salt fish.
Many from the fishing community collect leftover and stalefish to repackage them into dry salt fish.
Moreover these unscrupulous people from the fishingcommunity manage to sell the product to an unsuspected customer.
“Earlier the fish sellers used to throw away stale fish thatwas unsold during the day. Now they take it back home. The stale fish issprinkled with salty sea water and dried for some days and then sold in theopen market,” Namdev Pagi a fisherman from Karwar informed.
Another boat owner D Anil stated that fish was mostly driedin unhygienic manner under the sun either on the beach or the road side.
Normally a lot of precaution is taken to dry fish.
“Fresh fish is dried in a courtyard by placing the fish onpalm leaves and covering it. Some also hook it on a nylon rope which is lefthanging in the open air covered with nylon nets,” Anil said.
He said that this is how they dry fish which is used forpersonal consumption and at times gifted to close friends.
“Dry salt fish may actually be hazardous for humanconsumption as the substance used to preserve the fish is highly toxic,” saidDr Molu Desai from Chaudi, who also is the Health Officer from Canacona.
Very rarely can one find good quality of dry fish inCanacona or any other parts of Goa. Only those who are well versed can verifythe quality of the dry fish because the fish sellers mix the good with stalehoodwinking the customers, Anil Nair from Asnoti-Karwar said.
