PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday said he had to intervene in the ongoing controversy over the use of formalin in preserving fish, because people in the coastal state have stopped eating fish.
"Yesterday, I was kept quiet. But since fish is a staple food, I had to say that 'Don't worry, I am monitoring myself'. I think that was required, because people stopped eating fish. How can Goans live without fish?" Parrikar queried at a conference here.
After a raid on outstation fish consignments, Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) officials last week claimed that formaldehyde, a powerful disinfectant used to preserve corpses, was used to preserve fish.
The controversy snowballed after Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai tweeted that the fish was fit for consumption, following which the FDA in a statement said that the chemical was "within permissible limits".
Fish markets over the last few days wore a desolate look following the controversy.