Traditional fisherman Agnelo Rodrigues shares the poignant story of the struggle that traditional fishermen faced to establish the fish market in Margao. Under the leadership of the late Matanhy Saldanha, the fishermen endured police lathis during protests to secure the establishment of a proper wholesale and retail fish market for their community. Agnelo recalls how successive chief ministers, ministers, and the local MLA acquired thousands of square meters of land under the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) to build the market.
However, controversy arose when 7,000 square meters of this precious land was gifted to a private builder, forcing another acquisition of fields to build a new wholesale fish market. This new market has since been dominated by non-Goan traders, sidelining the very traditional fishermen it was meant to serve. Agnelo’s narrative paints a sad picture of betrayal and lost opportunities for the fishing community that first fought hard for the market’s creation. He expresses disappointment that instead of empowering the locals, the market has become a hub controlled by outsiders, leaving the original fishermen marginalized in their own trade hub in Margao.