Team Herald 

MARGAO: The Fisheries Department will now manage the Cutbona fishing jetty and the trawler owners will be free to sell their catch to whomsoever they choose. Similarly, the agents will now be at liberty to purchase the catch of whichever trawler owner they wish.

Complying with the High Court order, South Goa Collector Tariq Thomas on Monday said that this was the only solution, which was accepted by the parties concerned. 

After a closed door meeting the Collector held with the two trawler owner groups, Churchill Alemao informed media persons that the Collector has complied with the High Court order which stated that the buyers were at liberty to purchase the catch of whichever trawler owner they desired.

It is pertinent to note that tension gripped Cutbona on Sunday as the agents registered with the Cutbona Boat Owners’ Development Union/Society refused to auction the huge mackerel catch brought by two trawlers.

The agents reiterated that they will not purchase the catch of trawler owners some of whom had moved the court to get the Cutbona fishing jetty under the control of the Fisheries Department. 

The trawler owners were Patrick D’Silva, Martin Fernandes, Anthony Rodrigues, Cypriano Cardoso, Joecon, Cruz Cardoso and Churchill Alemao.

Patrick D’Silva, Cruz Cardoso and Cypriano Cardoso were amongst those who had moved the High Court which ruled that the Fisheries Department should manage the Cutbona Jetty with a committee headed by Superintendent of Fisheries Department and have a Fisheries Officer and the chairpersons of Cutbona Fisheries Cooperative Society Ltd and Cutbona Fisheries Cooperative Society as members.

“Why do we have to waste our time with the Collector now when we have a court order that was obtained after battling for nearly a year?” asked Patrick D’Silva as large number of trawler owners belonging to both the groups was present in the corridors of the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex.

As against the previous practice of the agents being given permanent slots at the jetty, the slots will now be given on rotation and trawlers will have to anchor at whichever slot is available. 

However, what was evident was the fact that the Fisheries Department is reportedly ill equipped to handle the Cutbona jetty and this fact has been admitted by all trawler owners.