Fish ban hits vendors and suppliers in Mokokchung

Imrongkumba Aier

Mokokchung, July 10 (EMN): The fish business in Mokokchung district has gone down since the past one month after the authorities clamped down on formalin-laced fish, coupled with consumers’ fear of chemically enhanced food, and its adverse impact on health.

The three-month blanket ban in Nagaland on import of fish, prohibition against storage, distribution and sale of fish products including crustaceans treated with formalin or other forms of preservatives has hit the livelihood of many fish vendors and suppliers in the district.

The ban in Mokokchung on June 29 has also led to closure of fish stalls at Cosmos area and New Market.

“The fish business is facing a big crisis…few remaining stalls may also run out of business because hardly a few customers visit the stall to purchase life fishes and other aquatic species,” said a mother who is a breadwinner for her six children.

“We sell approximately 20-40 kgs of various species of fish a day. However, because of the total blanket ban we hardly sell a kilogram of life fish a day….We cannot feed our family if the crises continue,” said another woman. She was apparently in desperate need of an alternative arrangement for regular supply of fish to continue her livelihood.

A wholesaler, L Supong Ao, who is said to have lost a huge sum of money because of the ban, said Mokokchung district consumed approximately 2000 kgs of imported fish in a week on an average. It comes to about INR 6.20 lakh for wholesalers.

“If vendor’s shares are added up than fish business is losing around INR 10 lakhs a week, which is a big hole to recover for the fragile economy of Mokokchung,” Ao asserted.

The administrator of Mokokchung Municipal Council W Manpai Phom issued a notice on July 9 inviting local fresh fish vendors and suppliers from the district to sell locally available fresh fish on a retail price of INR 250 per kg.

The notice had cautioned that suppliers and vendors would be responsible for ensuring that the fish is formalin-free and safe for consumption.

Phom informed that a trail base had been arranged with local suppliers in the district. The first consignment of approximately 500 kgs of local fish will hit the market this week itself. He added that the local suppliers had been contacted to maintain a sustainable chain of supply to the market for at least once a week.

However, wholesalers are apprehensive that the local fish price may be high. Customers might not buy fish that had been bred in stagnant water and ponds. Such fish are said to emit the scent of mud. Another problem that pointed to was shortage of ice which might come in the way of preserving the fish for longer periods.

The local fish available in the district can hardly be sustained for two months or so. Local suppliers can provide only 200 kgs in a week. It is considered much less according to market demand, Supong asserted.

The ban on imported fish imposed in the entire state for three months has opened a wide door for fishery owners and local suppliers to enter the competitive market.

A question that arises is this: Would the locally bred fish would be available at affordable prices compared to that of imported fish.