Goa is known for fish curry and rice which has been the staple for generations. But today, a decent fish curry rice in any home or restaurant in Goa has become a luxury. Whether it is due to over-fishing from the seas or manipulations of prices by the traders is a million dollar question. But Goans have definitely lost the charm of living with their fish vanishing from their daily rice plate.
Fish prices have skyrocketed to a new high making it difficult for Goans to have their regular amount of fish. The cheapest fish today is priced at Rs 100 a portion, and there is no limit on the price of good fish which ranges between Rs 300 and Rs 500, going upwards from there. The notion today is that you can eat fish only if you can afford it.
The government’s high voltage propaganda of subsidizing fish has been a damp squib. Surprisingly there is no hue and cry over fish prices and Goans are silently suffering. In the markets the traditional Goan fisherwomen have been outnumbered by the migrants who have taken advantage of high prices. Eaters of beef too have been hit hard due to the government’s ill conceived policies.
Goans can do without beef or mutton or vegetable on any particular day, but how can we afford to miss our daily fish curry rice? Isn’t it time Goans rise against this high cost of fish in the market? When trawler owners have been showered with a diesel subsidy by the government, doesn’t the government have a duty to check on the spiraling prices of fish in the market?
We shout from the rooftops whenever there is a steep hike in petrol or diesel prices or any other commodity which affects our daily life, but no one cares when this basic necessity of fish has been making the lives of Goans miserable.
But we need to bring the fish matters to the doorsteps of the government and demand that the fishing ban during the monsoons be maintained so as the fish are allowed to breed. Do we, the Goans have the will to undertake such a step to protest?
