Team Herald

VASCO: The traditional fishermen in Goa wholeheartedly welcomed the decision of Union government to impose a uniform ban on use of LED lights in fishing and bull trawling within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Fishermen leader Olencio Simoes told reporters here that traditional fishermen are very happy to note that Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has announced uniform ban on LED fishing and bull trawling in the EEZ which is from 0-200 nautical miles of the territorial waters.

Simoes is the Vice Chairperson of National Fish workers Forum (NFF). 

“This move will in turn help to end mafia raj in the fishing fraternity. I feel that Singh’s decision is in the interest of traditional fishermen of Goa. We also thank State Fisheries Minister Vinod Palyekar for his initiative taken to ban LED fishing and bull trawling,” Simoes said.

“Due to use of LED lights by some, several species of diurnal and nocturnal fish habitat was slowly getting destroyed and if LED lights were allowed it would have totally destroyed ecology and the fish would have got totally extinct. Currently, due to use of LED lights the nursing grounds of several species of fish was facing threat” he added.

Meanwhile, Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) President Agnelo Rodrigues said, “The fishing fraternity should work towards sustainable fishing as already several hundred species are already extinct and if we continue with such destructive gears, within five years fish will be extinct as seen in most of the foreign countries and then fish will be out of reach of common man.”

He said that the fisheries department should come out with stringent laws and if required amend the Goa Marine Fishing Regulation Act and  implement ban so that nobody dares to violate the ban in future.