<p>In a cosmopolitan city like Bengaluru, which absorbs people and their cultures seamlessly into its fold, nothing exemplifies and celebrates diversity as much as the plethora of cuisines available to the palate. Food is central to the survival of the scores who move to the city every year and to the locals who have seen different tastes grow, clash, merge and evolve.<br /><br /></p>.<p>As the city continues to expand to make more room for its populace, it is crucial to ponder if we have been hacking away at the sources of food that have sustained us thus far. The recent incidences of fish kill in Ulsoor and Hebbal are a part of this debate. While the situation is indeed alarming, fish consumers and dealers, however, seem unfazed.<br /><br />Shobha Manival Raju, a civil services aspirant, steers clear of freshwater fish altogether. A Mangalurean, she prefers to eat marine fish bought from the Jayanagar 4th Block market. “The fish are caught in Mangaluru coastal belt. These frozen fish may not always be fresh, but they are good for consumption. They are better than freshwater fish, which have a muddy taste and smell to them,” she says.<br /><br />Taher Ahmed, an editor at a web portal, concurs. “Not many people eat the fish that come from lakes in Bengaluru. However, when they do, they are bought by people of low-income groups from small time fishermen. For big dealers in main markets, their reputation matters a lot,” he says.<br /><br />And, so it does. For Ansar Pasha, a freshwater fish dealer from 30 years at Russell Market, fish from Bengaluru lakes are a big no-no. “They smell bad due to all the ingested pollutants. It’s been 20 years since I stopped buying fish from the city’s lakes,” he says.<br /><br />This, then, seems to be the issue. While more Bengalureans prefer marine fish, even among those who do eat freshwater species, there is wariness about the catch from the city’s lakes.<br /><br />Anil Harris, who co-owns New Frosty’s, a fresh food retailer at Indiranagar and Whitefield, says, “Aside of the fact that freshwater species can’t be stored for long, fish bred in our lakes here do not offer much variety. There are very few dealers, too.” He adds, “In Andhra, there is better maintenance and careful and vigilant breeding.”<br /><br />This is precisely why Ansar transports a variety of fish from the freshwaters at Hospet, Nellore, Ananthapur and Bellary. Deep freeze container trucks carrying Rohu, Catla, Hilsa, Grass Carp, Roopchand etc reach the city by 5 am. By late morning, everything is sold. On the rare occasion that something remains, it is packed in ice containers and stored for a day. Beyond that, it is disposed of.<br /><br />But for people like Moumita Dutta, who hail from Kolkata, marine fish just doesn’t cut it. “I’m habituated to freshwater fish. Wherever I go, that is what I buy. And I don’t fret much over where it comes from. As long as it looks fresh, I’m okay,” she says.<br /><br />For others like Vimal, a techie from Kerala, fish kills are a warning bell. “I usually buy marine fish from HAL market and trust those who sell it. But whenever a fish kill is reported, I just don’t buy fish for a month,” he says.<br /><br />To prevent stale or toxic fishes from landing on our plates, regulation of its sale along with awareness is crucial, some believe. Most people are poorly equipped with the tools for a good purchase, whereas some just want to get a big fish for a good, cheap deal. <br /><br />“Regulating the sale of contaminated fish at the local level is crucial,” says Shobha. Ansar agrees, but the scepticism persists. “The city’s lakes have reached a point of no return. Even if they are cleaned and rejuvenated in future, I would never buy fish from there,” he says with finality.<br /><br />Check before you buy fish<br />Gills: Lift them and check the colour. If it is red, it is fresh goods. If it is dark, it is old.<br />Flesh: The body must be firm and plump when you touch it. If it is gooey or pulpy, it is stale.<br />Scales: Must be uniform and silvery, with an oily sheen to it.<br />Odour: If the fish smells rancid, it is decaying.<br />Eyes: They must be stark clear; if they have turned murky, then the fish has gone bad.<br /><br /><br />Fishkill is a result of ecological abuse, such as immersion of idols, disposal of industrial effluents etc, that end up polluting lakes. So, we don’t eat freshwater fish. SHOBHA M RAJU, Civil Services aspirant Whenever fishkill occurs, about 4-5 stalls spring up on the roadside selling huge quantities. Such a haul is not possible daily, unless they have died due to other reasons. TAHER AHMED, Web Editor <br /><br />Instead of giving a free reign, designated spaces must be built for small-time sellers. This may help curb the sale of stale fish by enabling better supervision and checks by authorities. ANSAR PASHA,<br />Fish Dealer<br /><br />Before buying, I usually look under the scales of the fish to check if there is any colour change. Fresh fish are usually reddish underneath, but with ice even that is masked by sellers. ROHIJIT SINHA, IT Executive<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>In a cosmopolitan city like Bengaluru, which absorbs people and their cultures seamlessly into its fold, nothing exemplifies and celebrates diversity as much as the plethora of cuisines available to the palate. Food is central to the survival of the scores who move to the city every year and to the locals who have seen different tastes grow, clash, merge and evolve.<br /><br /></p>.<p>As the city continues to expand to make more room for its populace, it is crucial to ponder if we have been hacking away at the sources of food that have sustained us thus far. The recent incidences of fish kill in Ulsoor and Hebbal are a part of this debate. While the situation is indeed alarming, fish consumers and dealers, however, seem unfazed.<br /><br />Shobha Manival Raju, a civil services aspirant, steers clear of freshwater fish altogether. A Mangalurean, she prefers to eat marine fish bought from the Jayanagar 4th Block market. “The fish are caught in Mangaluru coastal belt. These frozen fish may not always be fresh, but they are good for consumption. They are better than freshwater fish, which have a muddy taste and smell to them,” she says.<br /><br />Taher Ahmed, an editor at a web portal, concurs. “Not many people eat the fish that come from lakes in Bengaluru. However, when they do, they are bought by people of low-income groups from small time fishermen. For big dealers in main markets, their reputation matters a lot,” he says.<br /><br />And, so it does. For Ansar Pasha, a freshwater fish dealer from 30 years at Russell Market, fish from Bengaluru lakes are a big no-no. “They smell bad due to all the ingested pollutants. It’s been 20 years since I stopped buying fish from the city’s lakes,” he says.<br /><br />This, then, seems to be the issue. While more Bengalureans prefer marine fish, even among those who do eat freshwater species, there is wariness about the catch from the city’s lakes.<br /><br />Anil Harris, who co-owns New Frosty’s, a fresh food retailer at Indiranagar and Whitefield, says, “Aside of the fact that freshwater species can’t be stored for long, fish bred in our lakes here do not offer much variety. There are very few dealers, too.” He adds, “In Andhra, there is better maintenance and careful and vigilant breeding.”<br /><br />This is precisely why Ansar transports a variety of fish from the freshwaters at Hospet, Nellore, Ananthapur and Bellary. Deep freeze container trucks carrying Rohu, Catla, Hilsa, Grass Carp, Roopchand etc reach the city by 5 am. By late morning, everything is sold. On the rare occasion that something remains, it is packed in ice containers and stored for a day. Beyond that, it is disposed of.<br /><br />But for people like Moumita Dutta, who hail from Kolkata, marine fish just doesn’t cut it. “I’m habituated to freshwater fish. Wherever I go, that is what I buy. And I don’t fret much over where it comes from. As long as it looks fresh, I’m okay,” she says.<br /><br />For others like Vimal, a techie from Kerala, fish kills are a warning bell. “I usually buy marine fish from HAL market and trust those who sell it. But whenever a fish kill is reported, I just don’t buy fish for a month,” he says.<br /><br />To prevent stale or toxic fishes from landing on our plates, regulation of its sale along with awareness is crucial, some believe. Most people are poorly equipped with the tools for a good purchase, whereas some just want to get a big fish for a good, cheap deal. <br /><br />“Regulating the sale of contaminated fish at the local level is crucial,” says Shobha. Ansar agrees, but the scepticism persists. “The city’s lakes have reached a point of no return. Even if they are cleaned and rejuvenated in future, I would never buy fish from there,” he says with finality.<br /><br />Check before you buy fish<br />Gills: Lift them and check the colour. If it is red, it is fresh goods. If it is dark, it is old.<br />Flesh: The body must be firm and plump when you touch it. If it is gooey or pulpy, it is stale.<br />Scales: Must be uniform and silvery, with an oily sheen to it.<br />Odour: If the fish smells rancid, it is decaying.<br />Eyes: They must be stark clear; if they have turned murky, then the fish has gone bad.<br /><br /><br />Fishkill is a result of ecological abuse, such as immersion of idols, disposal of industrial effluents etc, that end up polluting lakes. So, we don’t eat freshwater fish. SHOBHA M RAJU, Civil Services aspirant Whenever fishkill occurs, about 4-5 stalls spring up on the roadside selling huge quantities. Such a haul is not possible daily, unless they have died due to other reasons. TAHER AHMED, Web Editor <br /><br />Instead of giving a free reign, designated spaces must be built for small-time sellers. This may help curb the sale of stale fish by enabling better supervision and checks by authorities. ANSAR PASHA,<br />Fish Dealer<br /><br />Before buying, I usually look under the scales of the fish to check if there is any colour change. Fresh fish are usually reddish underneath, but with ice even that is masked by sellers. ROHIJIT SINHA, IT Executive<br /><br /><br /></p>
