Fisheries dept has no technical officer to check fish quality

NT NETWORK

PANAJI

Admitting that the department of fisheries does not have any technical officer to look after the quality of fish, and any complaint received shall be reported to the food and drugs administration, Minister for Fisheries Vinod Paliencar on Thursday said thAe mechanism to check fish products and import of such products from other state like Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala, is not available with the department.

He also expressed ignorance on the part of the government as regards information related to year-wise details of the business on consumption of fish related products in the state from April 1, 2015 till date; details of whether the sale of fish and other related products are brought under price control mechanism; and the consumption of fish products in the domestic sector as well as the commercial sector including hotels, export related agencies/ companies/ firms.

Stating that these details are not available with his department, Paliencar told the state legislative assembly in a written reply that his department collects the data of marine and inland fish catch from the respective jetties in Goa and data compilation is done on average basis, based on the data collected by the departmental personnel on monthly basis.

The Minister for Fisheries also replied that his department has purchased five mobile fish stalls to sell fish to public at 5 per cent above wholesale rate and are in operation.

“The department has proposed to purchase additional four mobile fish stalls,” he informed.

Paliencar further stated that there are reports of outstations fishing boats/ trawlers illegally fishing in the territorial water of Goa.