Expressing concern over the skyrocketing fish prices, legislators on Tuesday demanded that the state government must subsidise fish supply or form a fisheries corporation to regulate prices. Responding to the concerns raised in the house, chief minister Pramod Sawant said that instead of subsiding fish supply, the government intends to increase the production of fish, which will help regulate the fish prices.
“The government was supposed to set up a fisheries corporation to buy fish from other states and then sell it in Goa at subsidised rates to locals. The government is doing this with vegetables. Vegetables are perishable and fish is also perishable. Just by increasing fish production does not mean that the rate will be controlled because the fish will be exported,” said Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai.
Curtorim Independent MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, who was the first to raise the issue, said that Goans need affordable fish. Lourenco said that traders from other states come to Goa and sell fish at a higher rate. “Fish comes from trawlers and by trucks from other states. The government has a role to play here to make sure that fish is affordable. The minister can enforce, the government has the authority to decide,” said Lourenco.
Fisheries minister Nilkant Halarnkar expressed the state government’s inability to regulate the price of fish. “We cannot fix the rate for fish. It depends on quality and supply. We are also trying to keep a check. The traders have a wholesale rate. The department has a scheme to set up cold storage facilities. There are subsidies. We will consider all the suggestions and see how we can work out some solution,” said Halarnkar.