SGPDA market vendors relieved to see customers buying fish

MARGAO: Though fish continues to be priced on the higher side after the ban on fish being imported from outside the state, fish vendors as the newly-renovated Margao South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) retail fish market were relieved to see a number of customers coming in to purchase fish on Saturday morning.

A fish vendor, Francisca Dias, said she was only selling local Goan fish varieties. While the perch ( palu) was being sold for between Rs 300 to 450 a kilo, medium-sized prawns were selling for Rs 200 per kilo.

“Being a Saturday, there are more customers today. There is always an increase in customers on the weekend,” said Margao Retail Fish Vendors Association president Felix Gonsalves. He further said that vendors are only selling locally caught fish such as mackrel ( bangda), portions of a mixture of a variety of small fish netted from the shallow sea waters ( korbot), small-sized prawns and the prized solar prawns, caught by Goan fishermen from Benaulim and Cansaulim. “The price of the solar prawns has decreased from Rs 250 per kg to about Rs 150 to Rs 200 per kg,” said Gonsalves.

Gogol resident, Rajesh Manjrekar, said after the 10-day fish scarcity, fish is now available but is rather costly.