MARCOS GONSALVES
marcos@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: With no proper place for traditionally drying of fish, a long pending issue continues to create hardships for the fishing community and those in the business, as a result these fishermen choose the open places, and roads wherever available as an option.
Herald revealed that grievances of this fishing community have gone in vain for the last several years, and hence now they urged the new government to look into the matter in order to help them in preserving the traditional business.
It is pertinent to note that traditionally drying of fish is done in open sun and it takes a few days for drying of the fish. However, with no proper place fishermen manage to choose the roads and other private open places wherever available. Now, the parking lot owned by the South Goa Planning and Development Authority has become another spot for fishermen from Salcete for drying fish. Fishing communities from the coastal belt manage to dry off fish on the roadside, besides in the open fields. The demand to allot a place at the prawn hatchery at Benaulim has also gone in vain.
It must be noted that the demand for the dry fish will begin at the end of the summer.
Speaking to Herald Rosario Camara, hailing from Borda, who is engaged in this dry fish business for the past 30 years informed about the sorry state of his, due to no proper place for drying of fish.
“I have been in this business for the past 30 years, and we manage drying fish at the parking lot of SGPDA at Margao. I have no other option left,” said Camara.
He purchases the fish, mostly prawns from the fishermen and then dried fish, which is later, sold in the wholesale and retail market.
“Earlier we used to do the drying of fish in the open places wherever available. However this parking lot helps us in many ways,” said Rosario.
