Fishy issues…???
The new fish market project was tendered thrice from 2013 to 2018.
Initially, this fish market project cost was around Rs.8 crore. After adding GST now, the project cost reached Rs.9.5 crore.
The existing old fish market shed is dilapidated with no cold storage facility, drinking water or toilet facilities for the vendors and the customers.
There is no hygiene cleanliness in the existing market shed, and the fish vendors are seen sitting unorganised.
Considering these issues, and to bring a new market complex project in Port town, the former Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida and the Mormugao municipal council tried their best.
DHIRAJ HARMALKAR/
Goemkarponn desk
VASCO: Vasco’s new fish market project, worth crores of rupees, has hit a roadblock as the fish vendors sitting in the existing fish market shed are not ready to shift to the new temporary shed, which was built by GSUDA for fish vendors. MMC chairperson claims to take a decision after the council meeting.
The new fish market project was tendered thrice from 2013 to 2018. Initially, this fish market project cost was around Rs.8 crore. After adding GST now, the project cost reached Rs.9.5 crore.
The existing old fish market shed is dilapidated with no cold storage facility, drinking water or toilet facilities for the vendors and the customers.
There is no hygiene cleanliness in the existing market shed, and the fish vendors are seen sitting unorganised. Considering these issues, and to bring a new market complex project in Port town, the former Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida and the Mormugao municipal council tried their best.
For the initial phase, wherein shifting of fish vendors from the existing shed was the herculean task for the municipality, which the municipality has not successfully executed.
Although GSUDA has already erected the temporary shed for the fish vendors, the fish vendors are not ready to shift into the temporary shed, citing various reasons; one of the major reasons they point out is that the wholesale fish vendors and migrant fish vendors are selling fish outside the fish market which hampers their business.
The fish vendors have been demanding to crack a whip on those indulging in selling fish outside the fish market shed in the municipal area.
Several joint meetings between the Mormugao municipal officials and the Vasco fish market shed vendors had taken place but in vain.
No fruitful outcome has emerged from these meetings despite the Municipal chief officer’s assurance that the fish vendors will be shifted back and given a place in the new fish market complex.
When Goemkarponn tried to dig deeper to know the actual reasons behind this issue, it came to light that the migrant fish vendors who sell fish outside the fish market and at the roadside get their fish stock directly from the Boat or canoe owners who are owned y the Goan fishermen.
If the Goan boat owners stop giving the fish stock to the migrant fish vendors, then the question of migrants selling fish outside fish markets won’t arise in the first place.
But it is equally true that these migrants have become a crucial part of the fishing business in Goa, and most of the manual work done in catching fish is done by the migrants mostly.
Further, looking at the wholesale fish vendors, many wholesalers say that they own a canoe and a boat in which they catch lumpsum fish, which is mostly supplied to hotels, restaurants, and the Margao fish market. The remaining excess is sold to the people who come to the doorsteps.
Fish vendors from the old fish market shed have also got the problem with the mobile van of Fisheries department which offers a variety of fish on a scale with reasonable rates to the customers. The fish vendors do not want this van to do business and offer fish to people because it hampers fish vendors’ profit margin.
When contacted, Mormugao Municipal Council Chairperson Damodar Kaskar asked when the decision related to shifting fish vendors to a new temporary shed would be taken; Kaskar replied that this issue would be discussed and a decision would be taken in an upcoming municipal council meeting.
The bottom line of this issue is that the fish vendors do not want to compete in the free market business and wants to keep their hegemony in the fishing business.
The fish vendors face challenges from the government fish van, which gives subsidies to fish and from the migrant vendors, wholesalers who are into the competitive fishing business.
It is more important that Port town should have a good multi-storey fish market complex with better facilities and infrastructure which will house all the vendors under one roof for the convenience of the customers.
