Smelly: Fish outlets in Nagaland raising a stink

DIPR Dimapur, February 1 Retail outlets for fish in the state of Nagaland are in a deplorable state ‘due to absence of hygienic stalls/cabins and proper facilities to display products,’ the director of the state’s Fishery department has said. Noting that while fish is a fast-perishing food, the officer implied that the state’s retail outlet need some impetus. A fish kiosk was inaugurated at Jalukie in Peren district on February 29. The fish outlet was funded by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NBARD) for programs for 2015-2016. Director of the Fisheries department, Zenohol Angami, who inaugurated the fish kiosk, said in his keynote address that the construction of such kiosks in all the districts was being undertaken through negotiated loan from the NABARD’s ‘RIDF XX’ program. The department has been implementing various centrally sponsored scheme packages generalizing to single marginal fish farmer whose ponds/tanks are subsidized by the department. He said that fish was ‘an extremely perishable food commodity and that no other food provides so much observed evidence of serious loss from harvest to consumption.’ The different aspects of post-harvest fish loss are associated with loss of income, lose of quality, food insecurity, food safety to consumers, loss of market, poor packaging transport, Angami said. He also said that most of the retail outlets present in the state of Nagaland are in a deplorable state ‘due to absence of hygienic stalls/cabins and proper facilities to display products.’ Further, Zenohol Angami said that the aims and objectives of the department is to produce hygienic fish kiosk and congenial environment to prevent severe spoiling of the fish, to provide good quality for human consumption, to prevent mishandling of fishes and to prevent bad packaging that spoil fishes. Short speech was also delivered by additional secretary Mhabemo Yanthan. Yanthan said that without the support and cooperation by all, changes and progress will never come. He also said that devotion and dedication is required by all and urged that government property should be take care. He stressed on preservation and conservation of environment and that natural resources connected with rivers should protected. Also, the SDO (civil) of Jalukie, Rhoiestho Nguori, appreciated and congratulated the SDFO of Jalukie, Dory Yanthan and the department for the ‘infrastructure developments’ at Jalukie town.