AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
PANJIM: The big fish of LED fishing may be off the hook, yet fishermen in Goa are hoping the judgment of the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court for implementation of the ban on LED fishing and DG Generators in fishing vessels will someday, help them get a bountiful catch of justice.
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“My business is down for the last three years as workers refuse to stay back when the catch is meager. Baby king prawns, kingfish, crabs and other fish are drawn by LED lights and drift away. We are desperately waiting for the judgment of the High Court,” says dejected fisherman Francisco Braganza from Velsao.
The Goa Foundation, through a writ petition has argued before the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court that the all-India ban on LED fishing ban be implemented. It has also prayed that diesel generator sets be banned on fishing trawlers
“We cannot say why the judgment is delayed, though we expected it earlier. The judgment is expected to be in favour of the petitioners,” cited petitioner Claude Alvares of Goa Foundation.
Most fishermen waiting for the High Court judgment are of the opinion that the ban on LED fishing has been kept at bay due to, “the mafia that dictates terms to the Fisheries Department”.
“By transferring Shamila Monteiro, the effect did not trickle to us. The government needs to ban trawlers carrying DG sets as it is only then the LED fishing will stop and we will start feeling the benefit,” reasons Alvito Fernandes from Velim who has stopped fishing.
“ I have personally been receiving several calls from fishermen from all over the State complaining about various violations and most of these are in respect of fishing with LED lights and bull trawling despite such fishing methodologies having been banned all over the country,” admits Goa Foundation advocate Malisa Zemira Simoes.
“The sense of helplessness amongst the traditional fishermen is palpable as they have knocked the doors of the Fisheries Department, Minister of Fisheries as well as the Minister of Fisheries of the Union Government and got no respite. It is a known fact that although there is a ban in place, the same is not being implemented due to lack of initiative from the government,” observes advocate Simoes.
“The Government simply does not have the resources or technical expertise to tackle such illegalities,” adds advocate Simoes.
“The problem of LED fishing,” according to fisherman Pravin Dabholkar from Chapora, “is big in South Goa”. “Fortunately,” he admits, “we have distanced ourselves from these illegal methods of fishing. Why should we resort to LED when there is enough fish in the sea for all of us to share,” he asks.
“People resorting to LED fishing now leave Malim jetty after midnight and return before dawn so that they cannot be spotted but it becomes obvious to us when they leave with two dinghies,” discloses Premjit Sisaikar who uses the Batim jetty to dock his trawler.
Fishermen adopting the banned LED fishing appear to be adapting to protests from their brethren in different jetties.
“Those adopting LED fishing do so from the high seas now. They cannot be seen nearby and some of them even keep their dinghy out in the sea. Since they have been going out, the effect has not been that bad,” admits fisherman from Baina, Sajid Shaik.
“I have presented video evidence to the director of Fisheries in regards to LED fishing but no action has been initiated so far. They will keep making excuses, expecting to fool us and that is why, we are all eagerly waiting for the High Court judgment,” says a hopeful Sisaikar.
Until then, for many, fishing appears to be an exercise of waiting with a hook that has no bait.
