Govt says ban only on sale, consumption of imported fish

NT NETWORK

PANAJI

Making a U-turn on its recent decision to impose a 15-day ban on the import of fish to Goa, the government on Tuesday clarified that there is ban only on sale and consumption of the imported fish, while import of fish into the state would be allowed if it is for any purpose other than sale and consumption, such as manufacture of fishmeal.

Coming out with this statement, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar further said that the government will not check the quality of fish imported to Goa, if it is to be used for non-sale and non-consumption purposes.

The Chief Minister came out with this information in the state legislative assembly when leader of the opposition Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar and Cuncolim MLA Clafasio Dias brought to the notice of the House that at 3.30 am, during the early hours of July 24, three trucks carrying fish from outside Goa arrived in Cuncolim, and the

residents of the village drove away the vehicles. “This clearly means the import of fish still continues to Goa, even after such a 15-day ban has been imposed by the government,” Kavlekar stated, adding that the fish consignment had been marked to a factory in Cuncolim.

It may be recalled that following reports of sale of fish laced with formalin in the markets around the state, the government on July 18 has issued a notification prohibiting the storage, distribution or sale of fresh fish including crustaceans brought from outside the state for consumption in the state of Goa, for a period of 15 days. There was, however, no mention as regards ban on the import of fish to Goa in this notification issued by the secretary for health and commissioner of food safety J Ashok Kumar.

Speaking further, the Chief Minister said that the fish bought by the particular vehicles in Cuncolim was raw material to manufacture fishmeal. He also asked the leader of the opposition and the Cuncolim MLA to give in writing the details about the Cuncolim incident and he would send the officials, if information is given as to for which factory the consignment was marked.

Senior Congress leader Luizinho Faleiro pointed out that the imported fish is being stored at the Cuncolim-based factory and it is then sold in the markets all over Goa.