Goa likely to ban fisheries exports to check rising fish prices

Faced with a dropping fish catch and high prices of locally consumed fish, the Goa government may temporarily ban export of fish in order to stabilise prices, fisheries minister Vinod Palienkar has said.

Speaking to reporters during the inspection of the Chapora fort, 20 km from Panaji, Palienkar also said subsidies for the fishing industries were not really helping to keep the price of fish within the common man's reach and a majority of the haul was being exported.

"We are looking to ban exports. Goans do not get much fish to eat here. There is a need for a ban," Palienkar told IANS.

Availability of cheap fish had been the poll plank of several political parties like like Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Goa



Forward ahead of the February assembly polls.

The state is known for its sea food, which is sought after by the six million plus tourists who visit Goa every year.

Palienkar also said that his ministry doles out Rs 108 crore every year in subsidies to fishing trawler owners, but most of the fish caught was being diverted for exports.

"Most of the fish catch is being exported. How can we tolerate this when local Goans are not getting fish to eat and they have to shell our large sums of money to eat their fish thali at home?

"This government is thinking of cutting down the subsidy for large trawlers and the money saved will be diverted towards formation of a fisheries corporation," Palienkar said.