K’taka CM requests Goa to put fish import ban on hold

NT NETWORK

PANAJI

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has written a letter to Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar requesting him to permit transportation and trading activities of fish between the two states. He has also requested that the ban order on import of fish issued by the Goa government be put on hold till the traders’ compliance with the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) regulations.

In a letter written on November 27 to his counterpart in Goa, Kumaraswamy has stated that the coastal fishermen of Karnataka have been transporting fish for trade to the neighbouring state since decades. However, it has been reported from the fishermen from the state that several truckloads of fish preserved with ice have been sent back from the border of Goa citing reasons of usage of formalin and non-compliance of FDA regulations and certification of Goa government.

Further, stating that the fishermen have been taken by surprise by the sudden ban on fish trade with the state of Goa, the Chief Minister of Karnataka claimed that this has resulted in huge losses being incurred by the coastal fishermen and a lot of unrest among the fishermen community.

According to Kumaraswamy, the three coastal districts of Karnataka namely Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi together produce approximately 4.10 million tonnes of marine fish annually. A major portion of this marine fish catch, packed with ice, is transported to other coastal states like Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat for export, local consumption and for fishmeal plants. The coastal fishermen have been depending on this means of fish trade for their livelihood since long.

Karnataka has requested that the blanket ban may be withdrawn and the fish trade between Goa, Karnataka and other states may be allowed.

Kumaraswamy ensured in the letter that the fish traders comply with FDA regulations and obtain certificates after meeting the required standards, adding that the fish transporters and merchants have been instructed to obtain the required certificates from the concerned departments.

Stating that the process has been already initiated in the three coastal districts of Karnataka, the Chief Minister of the neighbouring state said that a letter in this regard has been sent to the secretary of public health department of Goa.

It may be recalled that a few days back, a delegation of BJP MPs, MLAs and fish traders from Karnataka had called on the Goa government urging that fish packed with ice and from the border villages be allowed into Goa.