Team Herald
PANJIM: Promising to comply with all the guidelines imposed by the Directorate of Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), the All India Fishermen Congress on Monday demanded that Goa government should lift the ban imposed on the import of the fish from other states stating that the community from coastal Karnataka is facing severe losses.
State government has imposed ban on illegal import of fish into Goa following the scare of formalin being used in the fish spread across the State. The FDA has put up stringent guidelines to import the fish, including need for transport licence and insulated vehicles, which are needed to be followed up by the traders.
A delegation of All India Fishermen Congress led by national working president UR Sabhapathi met State Fisheries Minister Vinod Palyekar with a demand to lift the ban on the import of fish.
What is interesting to note is that, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) were the first one to seek ban on fish import. The party members, who went to fish market to conduct tests, had even threatened to move Court if ban is not imposed.
Addressing media persons in Congress head office post meeting, Sabhapathi refused to comment on their party’s local standing stating “we are not here on behalf of any party”.
“We have come here on behalf fishermen from coastal Karnataka, DK District, Udupi and Uttara Kannada district,” he said.
“The order of ban has occurred heavy loss to the fishermen of Karnataka. The reason behind this is the fishermen of Karnataka exporting fish which was quoted with chemical. Some fishermen mischief creators did that for their own benefit,” he said.
“There was a national propaganda that Karnataka fishermen use chemical in the fish. There was no fact in it. It was a pure propaganda,” he said.
Sabhapathi said that Karnataka Fisheries Minister Venkatarao Nadagouda also spoke to Palyekar about the problems faced by the people. “We could not meet Health Minister Vishwajit Rane since he was busy,” he said.
Sabhapathi assured that the fishermen are ready to comply with all the guidelines and that will also ensure that chemical lacing is not done. “Fishermen from Karnataka are not involved in using any sort of chemicals to the fish. Government of Karnataka will also assure that it will take severe action against the fishermen,” he said adding that government is open to check Karnataka fish transporting vehicles.
The Congress leader claimed that even though Goa government says that there is no ban, the officials deployed at the borders are not allowing vehicles, even the insulated one to enter, stating ban.
He said that the distance between Mangalore, Karwar and Goa is very short and hence there is no question of use of chemicals and insulted vehicle requirement.
