Team Herald
VASCO: A fishing trawler named “Sao Paulo”, reportedly owned by St Andre MLA Francisco Silveira, was seized by Sindhudurg Fisheries Department, claiming that the trawler was violating the norms by doing LED lights fishing.
In a press note issued by Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) President Agnelo Rodrigues slammed the Goa government over its failure to a curb on illegal usage of fishing gear which was banned in 2016 and criticised MLA of St Andre Constituency for reportedly violating LED light ban.
The GRE said that the LED lights equipped with generator in the territorial waters and Indian Exclusive Zone (EEZ) was banned by State government and subsequently by the Central government but sadly the State administration has failed to implement the order the State of Goa till date, when rest of India has implemented the ban.
The GRE also mentioned that Goan trawler owners have already destroyed the marine resources and eliminated certain marine species too which was available in abundance round the year in Goa’s territorial waters and now these same trawlers are destroying the entire west coast specially at Sindhudurg area in Maharashtra.
Rodrigues said that it’s a shame that St Andre Constituency MLA’s trawler named “Sao Paulo” was caught by Sindhudurg Fisheries Department after it was alerted by the local fishermen of that area.
Repeated efforts were made over the telephone to contact MLA Francis Silveira to get his comment over this issue, but he was unavailable.
