MANGALURU: Karnataka revenue minister RV Deshpande said the Goa government has not banned the fish from the state. Instead, the minister said, they have just become more cautious about the quality of fish being imported to their state.Deshpande said that he has spoken to the health minister of Goa Vishwajit Rane and ensured that as such there is no ban for fish from Karnataka.However, Goa is apprehensive about the alleged application of formalin on fish as preservative. He said fishermen in Karnataka do not use the chemical for fish, but it is a very difficult situation as fish is being transported to Goa from Kerala and Andhra Pradesh too.“I held a meeting of fishermen in Ankola recently. The day when Goa government restricted entry of fish from Karnataka, I had spoken to Uttar Kannada district administration, chief secretary and Goa health minister Vishwajit Rane," he said.The Goa government has not banned import of fish from Karnataka. Goa gets fish from various states including Karnataka, he added."Application of formalin to keep the fish fresh in fact spoils its quality it has impacts on people’s health. Hence, the minister has told me that they are mandating certification from the food department for fish imported from other states. Goa government has not banned fish from Karnataka,” Deshpande clarified.Quoting Goa minister, Deshpande said the neighbouring state is just insisting on quality of fish. “I think we all need to cooperate with the mandate on quality of fish. It is an important matter and it will be good if we maintain the standard. Fishermen in Karnataka also have agreed to it. Our fishermen do not use any chemicals to preserve the fish while transporting. Instead, they are using only ice to keep it fresh,”An official meeting was held on Friday to discuss about checking use of chemicals in fish. It has been emphasised that all standards mandated by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) should be followed.

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