Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (MS)

Udupi, Nov 6: Everyday 15 to 20 trucks carrying six to seven tonnes of fish in each of them were going to Goa from the coastal district. However, from the past one week, this business in deep trouble as Goa has banned the import of fish from other states including Karnataka due to the issue of Formalin lacing in the fish.

The government of Goa has made it mandatory for out of state fish to be certified as Formalin free by the food department. In addition, the trucks that transport the fish need to be insulated to prevent the water from seeping onto the road. Though the fish merchants had asked sufficient time to implement these rules, the government of Goa has suddenly stopped the entry of outstation fish and is holding all the trucks near Majali check post.

This sudden ban on the entry of fish of Karnataka into Goa has battered the already struggling fish industry of coastal Karnataka. The price of fish has gone down considerably due to excess supply of fish in the market.

Giving his opinion on the situation, Satish Kunder, president of Malpe Fishermen Association said, "We have checked the fish at Malpe for the use of Formalin. In the beginning, we did receive fish laced with Formalin that was supplied from Tamil Nadu. However, due to continuous monitoring, the Formalin lacing is completely stopped. Due to the sudden and unexpected decision of the government of Goa, coastal fishermen have incurred losses to the tune of crores of rupees. The fishermen, who had a tough time during the rainy season due to storm and ban on fishing have received one more severe jolt due to the banning of outstation fish by the Goa government."