HERALD: Did a fishing monopoly situation exist?
SIMOES: Yes fishing monopoly exist only because of the government failure to provide basic infrastructural facilities like ice plants, ice storage ,action hall, storage facilities etc as fish is a perishable item due to this the agents exploit the situation and having strong political patronage no action or attempt to control this agent is made by the government, as this is very evident as not a single fish nor agent has been booked even after the formalin was found in fish .
HERALD: Who exactly is benefit out of this? Are Goansgetting sir government earning out of it?
SIMOES: The government nor the Goans doesn’t benefit but infact the government provides huge amount of subsidies to this agent cum exporters who are making annual revenue of almost 100cr at the cost fisherman as they purchase cheap fish from the hard working fisherman of Goa. Infact all the fishing community of Goa had made representation to the CM to stop this monopoly and allow us to control the wholesale markets of Goa.
HERALD: Is the government action after the fish controversy covering the interest of Goanfisherman and fish agents?
SIMOES: The state government has clearly shown that it is least sensitive towards the environment, marine ecology ,fisherman and now even towards the health of people of Goa as no action has been initiated till date.
Even state government of kerala, Andhra Pradesh,Odisha etc has seized several tonne of fish which was preserved in formalin ,but in Goa not even a single fish is seized.
By banning fish from neighboring states government has infact given clean chit to this agents and has only accelerated panic among consumers the brunt of it the fisherman has to face as the wholesale rate dropped drastically.
HERALD: Who should run Goa’s fishing business, Fisheries corporation, fisheries department or any association?
SIMOES: If government is serious in reducing the fish price, providing fresh fish and eliminating fishing monopoly then government should implement the CRZ 2011 and shall notify the fishing villages, which will allow us to build fishing and fishery allied activities such as traditional fish processing yards, boat building or repair yards, net mending yards, ice plants, ice storage, auction hall etc.
The wholesale market should be given under Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott or fisheries corporations should be set up in which only the traditional fisherman will run the corporation and all wholesale as well as retail markets government should provide cold storage facilities ,only then Goans will be fresh and cheap fish .
HERALD: Did a fishing monopoly situation exist?
SILVA: Yes fishing monopoly exists since long in Goa. Earlier there were few trawlers and few agents that time also monopoly was there and afterwards some new trawlers came and they brought some new agents some time it was going smooth but afterwards same thing is going on because some people are opposing new agents to come.
HERALD: Who exactly is benefit out of this? Are Goans or the government earning out of it?
SILVA: Middleman (agents) who are outsiders is benefitted. Government is also not earning anything out of this. We fisherman are investing crores of rupees in this business to catch fish but we never think how to dispose our material and we depend on the agents to do it for us. But now after the fish incident, fisherman is coming forward to do so.
HERALD: Is the government action after the fish controversy covering the interest of Goan fisherman and fish agents?
SILVA: After the fish controversy the government is very strict and we can see the action taken to check the illegalities done by the fish agents. These are the same agents who are doing the fishing monopoly at the wholesale fish market and at the fishing jetties.
HERALD:Who should run Goa’s fishing business, Fisheries Corporation, fisheries department or any association?
SILVA: Goan fishing business has to be run by Goan fisherman through fisheries department. In Goa we have 6 to 7 fisheries societies, Government can plan some fish outlets in some villages so that common man can avail fish at the nearest place and at cheaper rate.
