Cholera cases spark need for health reforms in fishing ind

Panaji: The cholera outbreak at Cutbona, which affected over 180 workers and resulted in five fatalities, has shed light on the urgent need for reforms in sanitation practices within the fishing industry, revealing issues that have long remained submerged. While some traders claim that workers from less developed states are reluctant to use available toilet facilities, others acknowledge that hygiene standards at jetties and on trawlers are alarmingly low, an issue that had previously been overlooked.
Sebastiao Cardozo, general secretary of the All Goa Purseine Boat Owners Association, said boat owners must enforce cleanliness.“Boat owners willingly enter the fishing business, so they must take responsibility for maintaining cleanliness on boats and at jetties,” Cardozo said. He warned that the perishable nature of fish can lead to contamination, which can lead to health risks, including cholera.
Francisco Fernandes, a boat owner with the Mandovi Fishermen Cooperative Society, highlighted the lack of sanitation knowledge among migrant labourers from Odisha and Jharkhand, stating, “Many do not know how to use western toilets and resort to open defecation.” Despite several toilets existing at jetties like Panaji-Malim, Vasco, and Cutbona, Fernandes believes that a proper understanding of hygiene must be instilled in these workers. Jose Philip D’Souza, president of Goa Boat Owners Association said govt should appoint doctors at jetties for regular health check-ups.