MARGAO: Tension erupted once again at Cutbona jetty when agents refused to purchase fish from a trawler owned by one Joao Martin. On Sunday, Martin’s trawler had arrived at the jetty, however, the agents and the unauthorised trawler association at the jetty boycotted him by not bidding for his fish.
Savio D’Silva, President of Cutbona Boat Owners Association along with the earlier agents opposed to the jetty management by the fisheries department, told Herald that the union has decided that their agents would not purchase fish since the four petitioners are not in the union.
Interestingly, the union/association was scrapped since they had not filed their accounts for last many years. He then stated that it was the agents’ own decision for refusing to buy Martin’s fish since the last time, Martin had sold his catch to a new agent named BSF so this time the agents decided to boycott him.
Herald spoke to Martin who had a different version. He stated that on the 2nd of this month when his boat had arrived, the Fisheries department had allotted him slot number 1 to unload his fish. He then asked an agent, who had won the bid for his catch, to come with his vehicle to slot number 1. However, the agent refused and told Martin to come to slot No 4. Martin waited for the agent for two hours after which, since the agent did not come, he sent his fish to the market.
Three days later, when his boat arrived again, the agent told him to come to slot number 3 which Martin did. After unloading the fish, the agent told him that Savio D’Silva had called him and instructed him not to purchase anything from Martin.
“Since he refused to purchase my fish, I waited for 3 hours and then contacted a friend who arranged a new agent called BSF who purchased my fish,” Martin said adding that the same day, he had paid and booked for water for his staff to bathe. However, the union then revoked the booking and did not allow his staff to even have a bath.
“Even today, they did the same thing and refused to purchase my fish,” Martin said.
