Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Nov 10: The government of Goa has banned entry of fish from Karnataka coast into that state citing use of formalin as preservative although the fishermen here have been insisting that they have never used this chemical compound and tests have repeatedly proved that fish from here is not contaminated with formalin.

Margao Wholesale Fish Market Association had requested the food department of their state to lift the ban but the Goan government has stood firm on its stand. This has put the livelihood of the fishermen from coastal Karnataka, who are already reeling under multifarious problems, into jeopardy.

Since about a month, fishermen, businessmen from states bordering Goa, labourers etc have no work because of the ban. The fish industry of Karnataka has received a deadly blow. Karnataka government has also not done enough to respond to the problems and hold talks with Goan government to address the problem. The fishermen, truck owners and workers, and other people associated with fish trade have been driven to streets, and they look upon the state government to come to their rescue.

The state government, the fishermen and others associated with fishing allege, has been owning a discreet silence on the issue instead of extending a helping hand to the fishermen. There have been pleas to the government to discuss the issue with Goa government in a suitable forum and find a solution to the problem early. As the Goan government did not respond to the demand made by a meeting of fish traders held in Goa, the fishermen here expect Karnataka government to discharge its responsibility by talking to Goa government.

Satish Poojary Maravanthe, a fish trader from Goa, says that the Goan government is not prepared to even check whether the rumour about adding Formalin by Karnataka fishermen as preservative is true. The fact that Karnataka government too is not doing anything to mitigate their problem has complicated the issue, he rues.

Because of stoppage of truck loads of costly fish which used to reach Goa from here, the price of fish here has nosedived.

Join secretary of Karnataka State Lorry Owners Federation and president of Udupi district JD(S) minority unit, Mansoor Ibrahim Maravanthe, said that a memorandum has been submitted to Karnataka chief minister to make some efforts to provide justice to the fishermen from the state. He explained to the chief minister that the rumour about fish from Kerala having been treated with Formalin has delivered deadly blow to the Karnataka fishermen, which he said is a part of some devious ploy.

Malpe Fishermen's Association president, Satish Kunder, said that state fisherie department director would be visiting Udupi on November 12 during which the fishermen would be holding discussions with him on all the problems affecting the fishermen.