SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma believes that the ban on import of fishes from outside the state will give opportunity to the local people to produce more fishes and allow the local industry to flourish.
Talking to media persons here on Tuesday, the chief minister said the health of the people was more important to the government even if it meant shortage of fish in the state.
Admitting that people will face difficulty following the ban on import of fishes, Sangma said the difficulty should be converted into opportunity.
The chief minister asserted that the government will revive the Aquaculture Mission and find ways to ensure that the supply is enough to meet the demand.
On Monday, the government banned import, storage and sale of fresh fish or crustaceans for 15 days after some samples tested positive for the cancer causing toxic substance formalin.
Traders stop sale of imported fishes
The Khasi Jaintia Wholesellers and Retailers Association (KJWRA) has decided to temporarily halt their fish business after the state government imposed a 15-day ban on sale of imported fish in the state following the detection of formalin in some fish samples at Nongpoh.
KJWRA president Mitchell Wankhar said, “We will comply with the state government’s order but we are not very sure whether the government has banned import of fishes from Andhra Pradesh or Assam or someplace else.”
He added that if formalin is used in fishes exported to the state, the KJWRA will have to question the fish traders from Andhra Pradesh.
At the same time, Wankhar has also called for a thorough investigation in the matter.
He lamented that the sudden ban imposed by the state government without giving time to the traders has resulted in loss of revenue worth lakhs of rupees.
