The fishing season gets off to a start in less than 24 hours. It has been an eventful break for the fishing community in Goa, a 61-day period when the scare of fish imported from the East coast being preserved by formalin kept the fish off many a Goan plate. And though the government has made vain attempts to assure the people that there were no traces of formalin to be found in the tested fish, Goans are still not assured on the issue. In fact, on Sunday the issue of brought up at gram sabhas across the State, with some suggesting the panchayats buy testing kits, and one village even demanding that the import and export of fish be banned.
While that debate continues, there are various other issues that need to be discussed where the fishing industry is concerned – the conditions of the jetties and the facilities provided being the main. Goa starts a new fishing season tomorrow, on August 1, but the question that has to be asked is whether the State’s authorities have changed anything for the industry and the fishermen?
Fish is a perishable item and need to be preserved under controlled conditions. One manner of ensuring that no chemicals are added to preserve the fish is to provide storage facilities at the jetties so that the fish cargo that is brought in by the trawlers can be conserved rather than being sold immediately, for fear of the catch going bad. This distress sale that has been happening, and Herald has reported on it, is done by trawler owners who have no storage facility for their catch and so unload the cargo to the agents or suppliers at whatever price quoted. The demand for storage facilities – ice plants and freezers at jetties – is not new, but has not been met by the authorities.
Insufficient jetty space is also an issue with the trawlers owners, who on arrival at the jetty have to wait in a queue system to unload their catch. Besides, the conditions at the jetties have also been a major cause of concern for the trawlers owners and their employees. The abject berthing facilities lead to damage to the trawlers, while those working on the trawlers do not have suitable sanitation and even drinking water facilities. These are issues that have been raised by the fishing community in the past, but have seldom been taken up by the government. These are essentials at any fishing jetty, but does every Goa’s jetty have them?
The fishing ban period, when there is no activity at the jetties, would have been the ideal period for renovations, giving the industry not just a fresh start to the season but also an improved one. This is an industry that has remained neglected for long and hence needs to be bestowed with a new lease of life. The discussions on the formalin in fish drag on, with the matter even being taken to the courts, bestows a perfect opportunity to address the condition of the industry as a whole, rather than looking at certain issues and ignoring others.
Politics aside, the State needs to look not just at improving conditions at jetties and providing facilities, but also on boosting the economics of the trade for the local fishermen, who by accounts have been receiving the short end of the stick. The fishing community needs a better deal and the fish eaters of Goa a tastier portion of seafood on their plates.
