BENAULIM: The smiling face and loud call of 60-year-old fish seller Santan Souza is a familiar and beloved presence in the bylanes of Benaulim. She walks from door-to-door, calling out to her customers with a cheerful ‘Bai nustem zai gho?’ Her customers often rush to their balconies with steel plates or bowls to buy Santan’s fish, which are always glistening fresh. “We bring very little fish now and there are few of us left who sell door-to-door,” she notes.
Hailing from Quelossim, Verna, Santan’s day begins way before the sun rises. She wakes up at 4 am and by 5 am, she’s ready and waiting for the first bus that plies to Margao. At the Fatorda wholesale fish market, she picks and chooses fish and then boards another bus to Benaulim,
to sell it.
Santan’s career in selling fish began 27 years ago, influenced by her sister who was already in the trade. Prior to this, Santan worked as a daily wage labourer, assisting her parents and two sisters who were employed at different places to carry out tasks such as de-weeding, cleaning grass and levelling the ground, especially after the rains. She later took a job at a hotel in Colva but eventually transitioned to selling fish. Despite her age, Santan remains active and intends to continue
her work as long as her health permits. A veteran now, she gets along well with other fish vendors who cater to the large village, and they have clear-cut turfs that they cover each day.
Reflecting on the changes over the years, she says, “In the old days, people would wait for the fish seller, and that’s how we used to get a lot of business. Now there are markets everywhere and vendors who set up shop at every nook and corner. Also, many people think it’s too expensive to buy from us – they don’t factor in the convenience of doorstep service, and the fact that we walk long distances to bring them their seafood staples.” She acknowledges that some days are challenging, with low sales. “Some days, I go home with not more than Rs 200. But we have to do it; that’s the trade I know,” she explains. She also harks back to the days when she used to buy big fish, like large King Fish, Chonak and Red Snappers, which would get sold quickly, allowing her to return home early. “We have stopped buying big fish now as there is no demand due to the cost. Such fish are now priced at Rs 500 to 700 per kilo, which few can afford. We now solely buy and sell smaller fish – but even the cost of the daily staple, bangdo, has increased manifold,” she rues.
On days when not all of her fish is sold, Santan walks considerable distances to offload her stock, starting at 8 am and sometimes going house-to-house until 2 pm. “If we don’t sell the fish, we have to take it back home and consume it. It’s a loss for us,” she says. Nevertheless, Santan continues her work, determined to keep going as long as she can. Her customers always welcome her warmly, making her daily efforts a bit easier.