Don't worry, the growing scare of having eaten polluted fish will subside, and we Goans tomorrow will forget about what we are blowing hot and cold today. That is the story of Goa, and our politicians know it only too well.
What will not go away is the basic problem; the fishing ban for two months during the monsoon when no mechanized fishing is allowed in Goa. We have a fishing ban, and yet we want business to go on as usual? We love our fish curry and so we import fish from outside Goa during the fishing ban. Is the ban on fishing only symbolic, and we do not understand the implications of it? Our politicians will find a solutions to this problem - as they always do - in a way in which their pockets and suitcases do not become any lighter. This attitude of ours is seen in more than one activity area, and is a characteristic of the Goan, visible in all its glory in the so-called development of our state. Now, we have a great new clean fish market building full of contaminated fish laced with formalin. And, we are told differently than earlier - the formalin is within the permissible limits. Good news for fish eaters? With fish imported from far away states, don't we need chemical preservatives to make the fish look smart and taste edible? We can't have it both ways or can we? Was it Marie Antoinette who said, if there is no fish, eat meat or vegetables? Can this problem be solved easily? It can if you don't mind eating fish which has dangerous preservatives in it. Our fruit are are often sprayed with chemicals so they ripen early, and the early bird catches the worn by making a killing in the fruit market. If you - the consumer - happen to get killed in the process, bad luck. There is nothing fishy in the recent FDA discovery regarding contaminated fish. It is to be expected, to say the least. Either we withdraw the ban on fishing or shut down the wholesale and retail fish markets during the two-month fishing ban during the monsoon. The fish available in Goa through non-mechanized methods is of a small quantity and can be said to be food on the table for a small percentage of Goans, very small. We need to keep a strict watch on our borders because of the way we are; some people will try and slip a few truckloads through our sleepy borders as we Goans love fish very much but love easy money even more. People who want to eat fish during the ban on fishing during the monsoon season can eat it but maybe at their own risk. Like the fishermen, the wholesale fish agents and sellers can take a well-deserved two-month vacation for the good of Goa, Goans, and above all, themselves.
