TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Just four days in the new fishing season and the congestion in the River Sal by fishing boats operating from the Cutbona fishing jetty have come to haunt the traditional fishermen and the mechanised boat owners alike.
The traditional fishermen under the banner of Assolna, Velim, Cutbona Betul (AVCB) Traditional Fishermen, have petitioned the Velim panchayat to address their concerns on congestion in River Sal by the mechanised vessels. The mechanised boat owners, on the other hand, insisted that any congestion, if any, in the River Sal can be effectively addressed by a break water facility or an alternative which ensures a smooth navigational channel at the river mouth.
The traditional fishermen have also raised the bogey of the size of the mechanised boats and their engines, saying the huge boats with high speed engines is not only a cause of congestion, but has affected the marine flora and fauna in River Sal. Says Vinay Tari: “The presence of the huge fishing boats, many of them made of steel, much beyond the permissible size is indeed a matter of concern for the traditional fishermen”.
Tari maintained that the traditional fishermen are not against the mechanised boat owners. “All that we are saying is that those mechanised fishing boats which are operating beyond the permissible size of 20 meters should not operate from the Cutbona fishing jetty. The government should move in and create an alternative berthing facility for these boats somewhere else,” Tari said.
Velim Sarpanch Melwyn Sanches said the panchayat would soon seek details from the Fisheries Department on the number of boats operating from Cutbona, their size and the nature of engines. “Since the fisheries department carried out an exercise to measure the boats on the eve of the season, we will ask for those details too. The panchayat also intends to seek details on the Vessel Registration Certificate from the fisheries department to throw more light on the size of the vessels,” Sanches added.
President of the Cutbona Boat Owners Union Cypriano Cardozo, however, begged to differ. He pointed out that whatever congestion that is complained of can be tackled by putting a break water facility in place at the River Sal mouth. “Many fishing boats drop anchor near the river mouth when hostile navigational conditions prevent the vessels from venturing out in the sea. This can be tackled if the government goes in for a break water facility,” Cypriano said.
He, however, said the fisheries department should adopt the right yardstick to take measurement of the fishing boats, while expressing his displeasure at the way the department officials carried out the measurement.
