• Sources informed that fish laden trucks with insulation to prevent the fish from decaying in transit arrive in Goa through the Polem and Patradevi border mostly in the later part of the day or just before midnight.
• Enquiries with QCI (Quality Council of India) at Polem check post revealed that on an average 20 trucks with fish enter into Goan territory every day.
• These trucks after testing for presence of formalin at the QCI lab are cleared to enter the state, concerned locals are puzzled over the fact that, when the wholesale fish market is locked where these trucks head to.
• Enquiries with the drivers and cleaners of these fish carrying vehicles revealed that they sell the fish at different make shift locations, few informed that they sell at the western bypass beside the wholesale fish market while others said that they do it on the eastern bypass at Power House junction.
Goemkarponn desk
MARGAO: No one can remove fish from the menu of Goans, not even the Covid-19 curfew lockdown, the authorities must have locked up the wholesale fish market in Margao, but its business as usual, as more than 20 fish laden trucks enter the Goan territory each day to satisfy the appetite of Goans for whom meal is no meal without fish on the dining table.
Sources informed that fish laden trucks with insulation to prevent the fish from decaying in transit arrive in Goa through the Polem and Patradevi border mostly in the later part of the day or just before midnight.
With hue and cry over the unprecedented rise in Covid-19 cases from mid April to beginning of May, the Goa government hastened to declare curfew in the state from May 9th which stands extended till 31st May.
The wholesale fish market in Margao, as per the notification issued by the South Goa collector has and is remained closed since 9th of May.
But neither the wholesale of fish has stopped nor the Goans are deprived of their staple diet, many say.
Enquiries with QCI (Quality Council of India) at Polem check post revealed that on an average 20 trucks with fish enter into Goan territory every day.
These trucks after testing for presence of formalin at the QCI lab are cleared to enter the state, concerned locals are puzzled over the fact that, when the wholesale fish market is locked where these trucks head to.
Enquiries with the drivers and cleaners of these fish carrying vehicles revealed that they sell the fish at different make shift locations, few informed that they sell at the western bypass beside the wholesale fish market while others said that they do it on the eastern bypass at Power House junction.
The whole process starts at around 4.00 am and is wound up by 6.00 am, no one knows anything, except the sellers and vendors, many informed.
The same people who used to come to the wholesale fish market now come here, one of the agent informed.
It’s an well-oiled system, by 7.00 am the fish reaches to the nook and corner of Goa added another person.
A fish agent in Margao on condition of unanimity informed this correspondent that, Goa needs minimum 250 tons of fish each day, one truck brings 4 tons into the state, so on an average 50 trucks from the states like
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala arrive early morning, rest 50 tons come from the local catch, the trade may look unsophisticated but it’s well organised he informed.
Goans spend on an average 7.50 crores just on fish every day, except for Monday and Thursday he said.
On Monday and Thursday the sale drops to half he added.
Hotels and restaurants may stand closed but the appetite of Goans for fish is unlimited and is so big that we are forced to get fish in Goa irrespective of lockdown or no lockdown informed a migrant fish agent.
